People with innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit can be found all over the world. Their businesses bear huge potential for economic growth and job creation, particularly in emerging economies. However, many companies fail because of weak support mechanisms. The Swiss Entrepreneurship Program aims to improve these mechanisms (i.e. the "entrepreneurship ecosystem") in order to increase the survival rate of startups and to allow businesses to grow in a sustainable way.

The main objective of the Swiss Entrepreneurship Program is to create jobs. It helps local support organizations (e.g. incubators & accelerators) to improve their business services and to build effective mentoring and investors networks. Furthermore, the Swiss Entrepreneurship Program aims to capitalize the potential of the diaspora by engaging their members as mentors and investors. The program works with media to help improve the prevailing - and often little favourable - image of entrepreneurship in its countries of intervention.

Improved capacity and availability of accelerators, incubators and mentors.

Improved survival and growth rate of startups/ existing businesses.

More (early stage) investments provided to entrepreneurs by private investors.

Mobilized diaspora for mentoring and investment.

Improved image of entrepreneurship through more and professionalized media coverage.

Expected results:  

Trainings for local support organizations (incubators, accelerators), mentors, investors and media representatives.

Active contacts/ links between entrepreneurs and their diaspora in Switzerland.

Specific support to women entrepreneurs.

Media coverage on entrepreneurship.

Phase 1 01.10.2014 - 30.06.2019   (Active)