WIREDGOV

The UK launched a new mentoring initiative called Forsa in June 2013 to support SME development in the Arab Countries in Transition.

Forsa aims to provide entrepreneurs with mentoring support for up to 12 months and to demonstrate to policy makers the power of mentoring. Forsa will provide at least 250 young and or female entrepreneurs from across the six Arab Countries in Transition with free business mentoring, where mentors are recruited from countries across the G8 and the MENA region. By providing entrepreneurs with mentors who inspire and encourage them, Forsa will help to unlock the great potential that is still largely untapped in the spirits of young entrepreneurs of the transition countries. This will help to support economic growth and job creation, and change attitudes to entrepreneurship from the ground up.

Forsa will also work with governments of the Arab Countries in Transition on national mentoring policies and produce a mentoring policy toolkit based on best practice from across Deauville partner governments in the G8 and MENA region.

To learn more about Forsa and to participate in the programme (as a mentor or entrepreneur) please visit: http://www.forsa-mena.org/

For more information about what mentoring means in practice we have developed a short video of our first Forsa entrepreneurs and their mentors please see this video.