Budding entrepreneurs get a boost in Tanzania

Believe Begin Become, the national business plan competition facilitated by TechnoServe, in partnership with the University of Dar es Salaam's Entrepreneurship Center (UDEC) and Business in Development Foundation Network (BiDNF), has announced the full list of entrepreneurs eligible to attend the Phase One training of the Believe Begin Become business plan competition. More than 350

entrepreneurs have been invited to attend the two-day regional training to be held between November 10-15. The training is optional for the qualified entrepreneurs and will be conducted in five zones across the country.

In the first phase, these entrepreneurs will be invited to attend regional seminars where they will learn more about the business planning process from qualified and successful Tanzanian business experts. The seminar is designed to help eligible candidates improve their skills in writing effective business concepts. Additionally, the seminar provides eligible candidates an opportunity to refine their concepts prior to submitting them to judges for evaluation. Independent judges will then evaluate the executive summary and select the best 120 business concepts. The top 120 entrepreneurs will then be invited to attend Phase Two of the competition which consists of an intensive business planning and mentorship program.

After completion of the three phases of the competition and training, 20 winners will receive seed capital to help launch or expand their businesses. Prizes range from US$3,000-20,000 in seed capital for the top 20 winners. Equally important, the top semi-finalists will also each receive “aftercare” business development service vouchers to ensure that they have the support and tools necessary to turn their business plans into self-sustaining and profitable businesses.

Article courtesy African Press Organisation