Migration Entrepreneurship Prize – 2022

We are looking for the most promising seed-stage startups working to alleviate the pressure for people to take dangerous routes leaving their homes.

Together with the Swiss FDFA’s Peace and Human Rights Division, we are thrilled to announce the second edition of the Migration Entrepreneurship Prize! With the aim to enhance the economic inclusion and improve the livelihoods of migrants, we are looking for startups from the Middle East and Africa that address migration issues to reduce the vulnerability of migrants by improving their livelihoods and making a contribution to their social and economic rights.

The Migration Entrepreneurship Prize is a program focused on the identification and technical support of socially-driven businesses on a mission to enhance the economic inclusion of migrants in the Middle East and Africa. Supporting startups that harness the positive benefits of migration and reduce the vulnerability of migrants by improving their livelihoods, contributing to their social and economic rights, and thereby reducing the pressure for irregular dangerous migration routes.

Eligibility criteria

Make sure that your venture matches all three of the eligibility criteria.

• Geographic Location
  • Middle East & Africa
    • Startups tackling the positive benefits of migration and reducing the vulnerability of migrants;
    • Social-driven businesses alleviate the pressure on populations along migration routes;
    • Entrepreneurs proposing products/services targeting migrants directly.
  • Tunisia 
    • Tunisia Migrants living in Tunisia – migrapreneurs who launch a business that targets migrants;
    • Tunisians who have lived abroad and returned to Tunisia launching their business idea;
    • Any innovative business having activities in Tunisia or being incorporated in Tunisia has the potential of positively harnessing the benefits of migration.
• Key Themes
  Your venture must work in one of the following solutions: labor migration, economic migration, migratory fluxes, migration alleviation, migration relief, refugees, movement of people, emigration, immigration, human dignity, economic livelihoods, social development, human rights, dignity, women’s empowerment, social business, leveraging private sector solutions for social change, diaspora engagement, sustainable development.

• Stage of Startup
  Your venture must be a seed-stage startup with a minimum viable product (MVP) and initial user traction.

Timeline

Project Partners

The organizations that developed the Migration Entrepreneurship Prize

About the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and its Human Security Division (HSD)
The FDFA’s Human Security Division (HSD) is responsible for the promotion of peace and human rights as set out in the Federal Council’s foreign policy strategy. It focuses on the security of the individual and protecting people against violence, war, and acts of arbitrary treatment. It works towards ensuring that policy on migrants and refugees is based on human dignity. The HSD is part of the Directorate of Political Affairs.

Seedstars – Empowering entrepreneurs in emerging markets
Seedstars – a Swiss-based private group of companies – with the mission to impact people’s lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship. The groups’ activities cover over 80 emerging ecosystems through a variety of activities such as the largest startup competition Seedstars World, Seedstars Media, training and acceleration programs, Seedspace with physical hubs, venture capital investments, and company building activities.