Social hostel, electric mobility, bioplastics, new gig economy services and much more: twenty-six innovative and sustainable business ideas have been selected for the Italian development of the MEDSt@arts project (Med microfinance support system for start-ups), funded with 2,547,935.73 euros by the ENI CBC Med Program and led by Fondazione di Sardegna.

The Evaluation Committee, appointed on 30 November, completed with three days of interviews the evaluation of the proposals received in response to the call for the selection of aspiring entrepreneurs, addressed to the unemployed and newly established companies, with legal representative or partners among the 18 and 40 years old.

Tourism and Digital are the prevailing sectors, chosen by over 42% of the selected candidates and followed by Cultural Heritage and other areas envisaged by the project: Agri-food, Eco-design, Crafts and Personal care services.

11 women and 15 men, with an average age of less than 33 years, will therefore take part in the next few weeks on a path characterized by:

• a training program for business incubation (webinars and mentoring);
• on-the-job training aimed at improving skills, abilities and entrepreneurial attitude;
• dedicated financial advice.

After a further selection, the finalists of the initiative will be 15 and will receive up to 10,000 euros to finance their idea.

Promoted by the ENI CBC Med Programme, the instrument of the European Union for cross-border cooperation in the Mediterranean basin for the period 2014-2020, MEDSt@rts foresees similar paths in Greece, Tunisia, Palestine and Lebanon. Fondazione di Sardegna is the Lead Beneficiary in partnership with SFIRS and Arab Italian Cooperation Chamber (Italy), Chamber of Achaia (Greece), Sfax Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Tunisia), LEADERS (Palestine) and Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Sidon and South Lebanon (Lebanon).

In support of the business creation process, the project will develop a network of microfinance actors, to whom a cycle of online events will be dedicated in the coming months.