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ACHIEVEMENTS |
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Bader realizes its vision and mission through four priorities:
1. Inspiring and boosting the morale of the young generation
2. Providing moral and financial support to entrepreneurs
3. Promoting entrepreneurial education
4. Introducing new financial tools to support SMEs
Awareness Campaign
Bader launched an awareness campaign in the media and organized visits to leading universities to explain its mission, and to develop new channels of cooperation with students and academics. The campaign aimed to create awareness among the general public and the business community regarding the importance of private initiative and entrepreneurship, to motivate the young and encourage them to establish businesses, and to support and enhance the entrepreneurship spirit at a national level. A hotline has also been established to answer questions and provide guidance and support to entrepreneurs. As a result, Bader received more than 200 calls for information and support.
Education
Bader members have started to promote entrepreneurship in academic institutions through their participation in courses and events related to entrepreneurship. Bader was also active in proposing training to top graduate students through its Excellence Reward Program; as part of this program, Bader members offered internships. To date, almost 15 graduate business students have been selected for the program, in a range of industry sectors including food, craft and fashion, engineering and technology, banking and finance.
Crisis Management and Economic Recovery
During the July 2006 war, Bader has decided to encourage the young generation to take the initiative in joining community/humanitarian organizations that were providing assistance to refugees and displaced. Bader aimed at stimulating the young generation through community work. The Association launched a press campaign, ‘Ma Thajer …Bader’, ما تهاجر...بادر encouraging the young to commit to their country by volunteering in the various projects in favor of refugees. As a result, Bader channeled 80 volunteers to relief institutions working on the ground.
Besides, Bader members have contributed individually and collectively in the shared efforts towards reaching solutions to the economic and social crisis. They have made financial contributions and in kind donations to the refugees and displaced, have extended services to the public and private communities working on relief, and have organized a lobbying effort with key local and international actors to put pressure for lifting the prevailing embargo.
Initiating the first Equity Fund focused on SMEs
Recognizing the gap in terms of Equity Financing for Small and Medium Enterprises in Lebanon, Bader took the initiative to pave the way for a successful equity fund focused at Lebanese SMEs. The Building Block Equity fund aims to raise $20M, to invest in up to 30 companies from the Services, Technology, and Traditional with potential for innovation business categories.
Bader has put together a solid team of seasoned professionals bringing in complementary skills and industry expertise: Nagy Rizk (Fund Manager), Fadi Daou (Technology Expert), and Maurice Khawam (Paris Based Equity Funding Expert). Talal Shair (Bader member) from Dar Group, as Chairman of the fund, will make sure proper governance and best practices are continuously respected and used.
Within the last three months of 2006, Bader members have put the development of the fund on very fast track: Awareness, interest raising from the key players and mobilization of decision makers in the public sector, and well targeted media coverage generated inquiries from both investors and potential portfolio companies, and in parallel targeting the European investment Bank (EIB) to be the anchor investor in the fund.
The Closing Ceremony took place on Monday, July 23, 2008 at Intercontinental Phoenicia Beirut in the presence of top executives from the European Investment Bank and Proparco, the commercial arm of the Agence Francaise pour le Developpement, the two larger investors in the fund, Lebanese banks- eight of whom invested in the fund, and various preeminent figures from the economy and investment sectors.
The closing was done at $17M to be completed to the target before the end of the year.
Click here to view 2008 action plan |
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