Manufacturing Advancement and Development in Egypt (MADE): Cohort 3 - Food Track

Innovative food security solutions by young entrepreneurs pushing forward Egypt's manufacturing sector


The Manufacturing Advancement & Development in Egypt program (MADE) is a pre-incubation and incubation program, designed to equip university students and fresh graduates with resources to transform their ideas within the manufacturing sector into marketable solutions.

MADE offers tailored content of training, mentoring, and technical support resources for the participants to prototype their ideas across three stages:

Stage 1: Ideation

A nationwide idea competition, in which  +20 teams will be selected to join and receive training and resources to facilitate rapid ideation.

Stage 2: Pre-incubation

Through the idea competition, eight teams will be selected to receive three months of training, access to workstation and comprehensive support to conceptualize and prototype the idea.

Stage 3: Incubation

Following the pre-incubation demo day, three teams will gain access to six months of dedicated mentoring, tailored training, global network and resources to develop a minimum viable product (MVP).

+20 Ideas for 1 Challenge

A nationwide call for ideas is now open to solve challenges in food security. +20 ideas will be selected to receive pitch training and join the idea competition. The challenges are identified by experts and stakeholders in Egypt’s manufacturing sector.

Sustainable food production Develop affordable and sustainable solutions for food production and food packaging.

Download this document to learn more details about the challenge and eligibility criteria.

Why Apply?


Take your first step towards turning your idea into a viable business with the MADE Incubator! This is your chance to jumpstart your entrepreneurship career and take part in driving growth across Egypt’s Manufacturing Sector.

So what’s in it for you?

Nationwide competition

Be part of a cohort of +20 teams joining a nationwide idea competition

Pitch training and resources

Receive the extra help you need to get the most out of your pitching.

Global network

Access a global network of entrepreneurs, mentors and ecosystem experts.

Pitch opportunity

Pitch your idea for a chance to win a spot in a three-month pre-incubator to further develop your solution.

If you are one of eight teams selected to join the pre-incubator, you gain access to:

  • Training program

    Three-month training program to validate your solution and develop a prototype for implementation.

  • Workplaces

    Access to physical workstations and maker spaces across Egypt.

  • Incubator pitch

    The chance to pitch in front of a jury panel of ecosystem and industry experts to join the incubator phase.

If your team is among the three teams that make it all the way to the incubator phase of the program, you receive:

  • Training program

    Six-month training program on business formation, market entry, and internationalization.

  • Additional resources

    Access to tailored technical and operational resources, business set-up support, material and equipment depending on team size and team needs.

  • Support package

    Access to a monthly in-kind support package to develop and build your solution valued at 550 EUR per team member

  • Mentoring

    Dedicated mentoring support from enpact’s global network and external experts.

  • Pitch competition

    The opportunity to present your solution to potential investors, business partners, and stakeholders at key industry events in Cairo.

Who can apply?


We’re on the lookout for teams of university students and recent graduates who are

  • of two to three members
  • women-led or gender-balanced
  • enrolled at or graduated from an Egyptian or internationally recognized university
  • passionate about technical sciences, business administration, and sustainability

In order to qualify for the program’s initial phase (ideation), the teams must conceptualize an idea for a viable solution for the aforementioned water sustainability challenge that

  • has innovative or disruptive characteristics that do not currently exist in the market, and
  • has the potential to be prototyped, scaled up and marketed commercially, and
  • can be applied within the manufacturing sector in Egypt

Ideas that are women-led and create sustainable social, economic and/or ecological impact are given priority in the selection process. 

In order to be selected for the pre-incubation phase, individuals must fulfill all the eligibility criteria listed above. They should also: 

  • Legally reside in Egypt (including permission to gainful employment),
  • Have an entrepreneurial mindset, and
  • Be available to commit to developing and commercializing their solution

Download this document for more details about the criteria and competition challenges

How does the process work?

  • 1. Application process

    The call is open for university students and fresh graduates with innovative ideas in manufacturing to join a nationwide idea competition. 

  • 2. Selection process

    Your solution will be evaluated against the pre-set criteria based on the applications received. +20 ideas will be selected to join the idea competition.

  • 3. Idea competition 

    Selected participants will join the idea competition after receiving pitch training and resources to facilitate rapid ideation. Eight teams will be selected to join a 3-month pre-incubator.

  • 4. Pre-incubation

    During the 3-months pre-incubator, you will receive comprehensive training on Customer, Technology, Business, IPR, Team, and Funding Readiness, plus access to physical workstations and maker spaces across Egypt.

  • 5. Incubation

    Three teams will be selected from the pre-incubator to join a 6-month incubator to receive an in-kind support package per team member, plus dedicated mentoring and further training to develop a minimum viable product (MVP).

  • 6. Alumni and community

    Following the successful completion of the program, you will become an enpact alumnus and receive access to exclusive community perks, networking opportunities, and continued support from the enpact team.

Applications are now closed. If you have already submitted an application, please keep an eye out on your e-mail for updates regarding your application status.

You can also register here for MADE’s info session to learn more about the program’s phases and benefits and to support you with your application process.

If you have questions regarding your applications, please reach out to us via email at shc@enpact.org. Please note that this is the only official channel of communication to receive timely application support.

 

Meet MADE's Idea Competition Winners


8 teams of young entrepreneurs started their journey of 3 months of pre-incubation, the second phase of MADE Program, in March 2023. Get to know them:

Biri, led by Ahmed Sami

Biri produces calcium chloride, hyaluronic acid, and collagen from eggshells through an eco-friendly process at low cost and high quality. This innovation can benefit the manufacturing of food supplements, natural fertilizers, dairy products, etc.  

AlProtein, led by Omar Zagloul

AlProtein produces a tasty, nutritious, cost-effective, eco-friendly protein powder through an AI-powered hybrid-production platform that integrates floating plants and microalgae using local organic nutrients. The next-generation platform is scalable to multiple sites and integrates AI and IoT systems, enhancing productivity. AlProtein’s complete water-integrated system can retain up to 85% of water, reducing costs and resource usage while promoting sustainability. The platform offers an efficient alternative to traditional protein production methods and can potentially transform the protein production industry in Egypt.

Bees-Out, led by Mariam Salem

Beeswax wraps are antimicrobial, minimizing the risk of infection and food waste. Made from natural, renewable material, Beeswax food wrapping directly addresses the challenge of developing sustainable and affordable food packaging solutions. Farmers, food processors, and retailers can reduce their environmental footprint in production and packaging operations by using beeswax food wraps, contributing to the decarbonization of supply chains and low-carbon production.

Valley Dates, led by Menna Ghanem

From the heart of the New Valley Governorate, Team Valley Dates converts less marketed dates into high-quality food-integrated products to enhance the added value of these dates. The governorate houses a crop of over 250,000 palm trees of the targeted kind of dates. With their solution, the team contributes to the food gap by producing more than 20 health products, benefiting a wide range of social segments.

RFR, led by Ahmed Abolmagd

RFR recycles agricultural residues into 100% local Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) approved by the Egyptian Drug Authority according to US Pharmacopeia, meets European Standards, and is a more affordable alternative to imported products.  

Papero, led by Marwa Mohamed Hussein

Papero produces paper bags from recycled rice straws to reduce the environmental damage caused by using plastic bags.

Handfarmer, led by Ahmed Sherif

Handfarmer is an IoT system giving farmers insights into the types and quantity of fertilizers relative to their crops, thereby increasing the amount and quality of the produce. The team also provides the farmers with their solution, an integrated online market for selling crops and increasing their profitability.

Zadio, led by Khaled Ali

Zadio aims to develop an innovative product for agricultural and poultry use –  producing biologicals based on microorganisms and enzymes. These products increasingly find applications as biopesticides, biofertilizers, and biostimulants, helping eliminate chemical fertilizers usage.

 

In June 2023, a pitch event marked the end of the 3-month pre-incubation, where the 8 teams presented their progress with their ideas for the chance to be selected for the final stage of the program, the 6-month incubation. Based on the scoring conducted by a jury of business and manufacturing experts, Teams AlProtein, Bees-Out, and RFR were those who made it to this phase. Each team now accesses tailored business and technical training, dedicated mentoring, and a monthly support package valued at 550 EUR per team member to build the minimum viable product (MVP).

MADE Partners

After launching the call for applications for MADE Program’s second round in February 2023, we received 80+ applications with the help of outreach partners, who spread the call among their communities and helped us reach incredible entrepreneurs and innovators from all over Egypt.

Get to know MADE’s outreach partners!

MADE has been developed by the non-profit organization enpact and is implemented in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Egypt, within the framework of the Private Sector Development and Innovation (PSI) program, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

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