2 May 2007
infoDev and the Development Marketplace are leveraging their respective networks of business incubators and innovative entrepreneurs and businesses to effectively address core developmental challenges.
As a competitive grant program of the World Bank, the Development Marketplace funds innovative businesses and sponsors national and global competitions which invite entrepreneurs to share new ideas for fighting poverty. This year the global Development Marketplace will award $4 million in grants to help entrepreneurs and SMEs scale up their innovative products and services related to "Improving Results in Health, Nutrition and Population for the Poor" .
Award winners will use a portion of their grants to obtain advisory and support services needed to sustainably expand their operations. The more than 60 infoDev-supported business incubators across 47 developing countries provide such services, as well as access to local investors and potential business partners.
In upcoming national Development Marketplace events, infoDev-supported business incubators will participate to help raise awareness for incubation services among the promising entrepreneurs and SMEs participating in the competition. During the India Development Marketplace on May 28th, the Department of Science and Technology, which collaborates with infoDev on its business incubation initiative, will highlight the support services that the more than 100 business incubators across India are providing to start-up businesses.
For more information about infoDev's Business Incubator Initiative: www.infodev.org/businessincubation
Development Marketplace 2007. Come take advantage of the opportunity to meet and talk with representatives from 104 finalist projects for 42 countries at the 2007 Global Development Marketplace, May 22-23 in Washington, DC. The Marketplace is open to the general public. Attendance is free, but requires online registration by May 15. Register by visiting http://www.eventbrite.com/event/55718656 or www.developmentmarketplace.org