Orange Corners, an initiative established by the Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, is dedicated to developing entrepreneurship, particularly among young people and women. As part of its global initiatives, it provides opportunities for youth entrepreneurs. Now, in collaboration with 249 Startups, a Sudanese social enterprise, Orange Corners Sudan has launched a youth entrepreneur initiative for Sudanese youth through the ‘Orange Corners Sudan program‘. The program has recently partnered with several private sector companies in Sudan (such as El-Nefiedi Group, Haggar Group, United Capital Bank, Saleh Yagoub Group, and Tirhal) to further its goal of fostering and strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country, which is considered the largest of its kind in Sudan.

The main objective of the initiative is to foster and strengthen Sudan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by offering a six-month incubation program, which provides the necessary resources, skills, and market access to help young people develop their business ideas and become successful entrepreneurs. Participants can receive up to 5000 Euros in funding through the Orange Corners Start-up program, with additional access to growth funding of up to 50,000 Euros.

Throughout the six months, this program will offer a wide range of training and workshops on topics such as developing business plans, marketing, sales and growth, product development, technology, financial analysis and attracting investments, and others.
It also provides networking opportunities with the business community inside and outside Sudan, coaching and mentoring through a very large network of entrepreneurs inside and outside Sudan.
In addition to providing a supportive space to work with internet, electricity, and all the necessary logistical needs within the 249 Startups business hub.

There are selection criteria for the program and priority tracks. The program will start on March 16, 2023, to submit applications and conduct interviews, while the results of the successful selections are announced at the beginning of June.

The Netherlands has been active in supporting the productive sector in Sudan. In previous years, many private companies benefited from the Dutch Private Sector Investment (PSI) program, which aimed to stimulate growth, create employment opportunities and generate income.