Umniah Signs a MoU with Dot Jordan and Startovia to Help Entrepreneurs Launch Digital and Entrepreneurial Projects

September 21, 2021 – Amman, Jordan: Umniah has signed a memorandum of understanding with Dot Jordan and Startovia to implement the Social Entrepreneurship Project, which falls under the Daring to Shift program funded by the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a move that is directly in line with the company’s avid support of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The memorandum of understanding was signed between Umniah Marketing Director Zaid Ibrahim, Dot Jordan Country Director Hamza Shraideh and Startovia Founder and Managing Director Randa Al-Baker, and the ceremony was attended by management team members from all three institutions.

The Daring to shift: Social Entrepreneurship project, which was launched last April, aims to engage young entrepreneurs in developmental and social innovation, helping them launch their startups as well as offering the top contenders a financing grant.

The jury, which The Tank Entrepreneurship and Innovation Supervisor Noor Abu Jbara was part of, evaluated more than 75 pilot projects, of which 30 startups and small projects qualified to participate in the Daring to Shift Program’s mentoring phase run jointly by Dot Jordan and Startovia.

The Tank will provide integrated incubation services, to one of the program beneficiaries, offering them mentorship, networking opportunities, and training seminars, while Dot Jordan will finance the training of the program’s graduates as well as funding the initial grants for the winning projects. Furthermore, Startovia will design, develop and implement training and mentorship programs during the initial stages for the entrepreneurs and startup founders in the Middle East and North Africa region.

At the signing, Ibrahim spoke of his pleasure at the three-way partnership, which brings together leading Jordanian institutions with a shared vision of creating an ecosystem that allows entrepreneurs and innovation to thrive through training, guidance, counseling and incubation services. He went on to add that Umniah, through its business incubator The Tank, is a strategic supporter of the entrepreneurship environment in Jordan, helping creative and innovative youths transform their ideas into viable, income-generating projects, which ultimately leads to sustainable development for the entire country.

Shraideh highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship, which has a critical role in innovation, research and development in the economic sector, adding that Dot Jordan started the Social Entrepreneurship Project as a way of contributing to the development of local communities through training and guidance. With this support, innovators can kick off their own income-generating projects and contribute to their communities.

Also at the signing, Al-Baker stressed the importance of designing impactful leadership programs that support entrepreneurs, especially in the early stages of their projects, ultimately contributing to their sustainability and achieving an effective social impact for both the entrepreneur and the community. According to Al-Baker, Startovia has focused capacity building through mentorship, which has proven to be the ideal tool for creating flexible and sustainable companies.

Over the past two seasons, The Tank has incubated 47 companies both in person and virtually, with more than 7,000 people ultimately benefiting. The Tank also held more than 150 events each year and worked to establish partnerships with organizations that support entrepreneurship and innovation. The Tank also sponsored the attendance of its startups at local and international conferences, and hosted workshops on innovation and entrepreneurship for school and university students.