Forum offers young entrepreneurs platform to network, receive support

AMMAN — In cooperation with the Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Ministry, the Youth Ministry on Saturday held the 2020 National Forum for Young Entrepreneurs and Innovators aimed at empowering, encouraging and supporting young entrepreneurs.

The forum also sought to shed light on business projects and success stories, connecting participants with supporting bodies and incubating “unique” projects.

During the event, held at Al Hussein Youth City in Amman, Youth Minister Fares Braizat said that the ministry seeks to reduce unemployment in Jordan, as it is the most challenging problem Jordanian youth face, especially among educated women.

The ministry is working to empower young Jordanians in entrepreneurship through the National Strategy for Youth, launched in 2019, Braizat said.  

For his part, Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Minister Mothanna Gharaibeh said that the ministry is providing incubators around the Kingdom to aid and support young businesses.

He added that entrepreneurship generates ideas and creates solutions that help mitigate the problems facing society. 

The event also saw a panel discussion that brought together businesspeople to address the opportunities and challenges facing start-ups.

The forum provided participants with suitable network connections as potential social, financial and psychological support for their start-ups.

Workshops were held during the event to empower participants in creative thinking, marketing, business-model building, presentation techniques and financial management.

Out of 511 start-ups participating in a competition designed by the Youth Ministry, 44 projects were chosen by specialised committees to undergo a five-day training camp. 

Nine start-ups were qualified to present and discuss their projects with a judging panel during the event. 

The start-up “Kendah”, which specialises in Arabic calligraphy, came in first place and is to set to receive JD6,000 in funding. 

The start-up “Good Socks” ranked second, with JD4,000, while “LaGta” ranked third, receiving JD3,000 in funding. 

“Frata” came in fourth and received JD2,000, while the start-up “Amtiaa” placed fifth and was granted JD1,000 and a laptop computer.

The last four winners — A Drop of Hope, Lessgo, Juthoor and Doctor X — also received laptops.