What are the funding opportunities available for creative start-ups? Kafalat and Banque du Liban representatives will be presenting the financial leverages accessible to creatives and entrepreneurs who wish to start they own business but lack the required funds to do so. You've always wanted to make a living out of your own ideas but never really understood how to materialize your dream? Join this workshop to understand the tools which can make it happen.

Panelists:

Kafalat is a Lebanese financial company with a public concern that assists small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to access commercial bank funding. Kafalat helps SMEs by providing loan guarantees based on business plans / feasibility studies that show the viability of the proposed business activity. It processes guarantee applications for loans that are to be provided by Lebanese banks to SMEs operating throughout Lebanon.

BDL is the Lebanese National Banque which regularily allocates funds and provides loans for small and medium enterprises.

From 16 to 24 January, GAIA-Heritage is hosting a weeklong event of activities In Mar Mikhael within the EU-funded project MEDNETA. The event includes Toolbox: a series of free workshops for artists, craftsmen and designers.

Toolbox will be happening over 3 days: 22, 23 & 24 of January.

Day 1 will expose creatives to new technologies and innovative techniques

Day 2 will provide creatives with the needed entrepreneurial, and marketing skills to create their own businesses.

After the first two days of training artists, craftsmen and designers will spend Day 3 collaborating to create products and their respective business plans and present them to a jury. Members of the jury include: Kafalat, RDCL - Rassemblement de Dirigeants et Chefs d'entreprises Libanais, UNESCO, a design market expert and a design process expert.

To participate on Day 3, creatives need to have attended a minimum of 2 workshops on Days 1 and 2 and sign up at the IGA premises by 12pm on Day 2.

By the end of 2015, these products will be further developed between the artists, craftsmen and designers of MEDNETA’s partner cities (Athens, Tunis, Valencia, Florence and Hebron) and exhibited around the Mediterranean.

InMarMikhael