Business Idea Competition
UNDP Encourages Young Entrepreneurs in Blue Nile State

Wednesday May 2nd 2012- As part of UN Joint Programme on Youth Employment, UNDP continues to support the new business initiatives that link the youth with sustainable employment opportunities. UNDP launched a second phase of Business Ideas Competition for youth in the Blue Nile State, upon successful completion of similar contest in North & South Kordofan States. The Competition awards start-up micro-grants for successful and innovative small business ideas prepared by aspiring young entrepreneurs.

The official launch of the Business Ideas Competition at the Blue Nile State was inaugurated by the Blue Nile Sate Affairs Commissioner and Director General at the State Ministry of Culture, Media, Youth & Sport and attended by HAC Commissioners, state officials’ government, and local NGOs, and exclusive presence of local press.

Speaking at the occasion, HE Ms. khalida Abu Elella, the Sate Affairs Commissioner, praised UNDP developmental role in the State and valued this supportive initiative to youth. She emphasized the Blue Nile State great need to such joint efforts.

Dr. El-Jaili Ali El-Ebeid, Director General at the State Ministry of Culture, Media, Youth & Sport, urged the youth to actively participate and present innovative projects that can benefit the Blue Nile State.

More than 150 Youth attending the launching ceremony were highly motivated by the new jobs’ creation initiative in the state. At the closing of launch, over 80 applications forms of the business idea competition have been withdrawn by youth.

The Business Idea Competition, funded by Government of Spain through the Millennium Development Goals Achievement is part of a Sudan Joint Programme “Creating Opportunities for Youth Employment in Sudan” involves several UN agencies and government entities and aims to provide skills development and livelihood opportunities to the youth.

Participation in this competition is open to all youth between the ages of 15 - 30 years old from the Blue Nile state only. The competition is being run during the period May through July 2012.

For transparency and neutrality in the selection of winning business ideas, an independent Awards Selection Panel is set up to screen and select the winning business ideas. The Awards Selection Panel is comprised of 7 members who are selected from the business community, local government, microfinance providers, UNDP institutional partners and members of the civil society.

The Sudanese Development Initiative (SUDIA), a national NGO has collaborated with UNDP in the launch and organizing of the Business Idea Competition in the targeted states. SUDIA team was supported at the both the Federal and State levels by youth members from the Youth Employment Units affiliated with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Central Bank of Sudan.

For more information on UNDP Sudan activities , please contact:
Yusra Salim : Communications Analyst UNDP Sudan: yusra.salim@undp.org

***

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.