Attracting potential investors

The « Entrepreneurship and Business Facilitation » (ENFA-OI) project is launching a call for applications for a pitch competition aimed at start-ups from the member states of the Indian Ocean Commission (COI).

This competition, named COPISTE 2024, aims to develop the skills of entrepreneurs or business idea holders. It has the potential to attract investors or better inform them about the services offered by participants. The call for applications for COPISTE 2024 opened on July 29. Entrepreneurs or project holders from Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles have until September 6, 2024, to register on the COI website.

The COPISTE 2024 competition will take place in Mauritius from October 28 to 30, 2024. Over these three days, the 20 most promising entrepreneurs and project holders selected from the applications will compete. All participants will receive tailored support from professionals to help them refine their business ideas and succeed in the pitch challenge. Ultimately, six winners, two per priority sector, will be awarded.

The six winners will receive grants of 2,000 EUR for the first prize in each category, 1,500 EUR for the second prize in each category, and a business incubation and acceleration voucher worth an estimated 1,000 EUR each. The ENFA-OI project is carried out by the COI with funding from the European Union amounting to 1.6 million EUR. The project primarily aims to enhance economic opportunities for entrepreneurs in the COI region within a framework of sustainable development. It serves as an essential tool for promoting green, blue, and circular solutions for businesses, mainly led by young people.