Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Beni Mellal — Orange Corners Morocco marked on Friday a milestone in youth entrepreneurship, celebrating the graduation of 15 startups from its six-month incubation program in the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region.
The culminating Demo Day began at the Beni Mella-Khenifra’s Regional Investment Center (CRI) headquarters, where all 15 incubated entrepreneurs presented their ventures to a distinguished jury. Each participant delivered carefully crafted pitches of the six months of intensive training.
Celebrating Morocco’s next generation of changemakers
Participants featured their innovative solutions, market potential, and social impact, demonstrating the diverse range of projects emerging from the region, spanning sectors from sustainable agriculture and renewable energy to digital solutions and circular economy innovations.
The competitive atmosphere was palpable as entrepreneurs competed not only for the prestigious funding opportunities but also for recognition as leaders in Morocco’s next generation of changemakers.
In the afternoon, the closing ceremony, held in Beni Mellal’s City of Crafts and Competences (CMC), featured five winning entrepreneurs who secured funding through the Orange Corners Innovation Fund (OCIF).
Younes Yousfi, co-founder of Inna Ecolodge cooperative, spoke to Morocco World News (MWN) about the program’s impact.
“Inna Ecolodge is a unique place located in the High Atlas in Ait Bougmaz, with a tourism capacity of 24 people,” he said, explaining that the “goal of this establishment is both the economic revitalization of Ahebak village.”
The startup also aims to have “an impact on education and support young people in the village through workshops and activities throughout the year.”
Another winner, Najoua Nour Eddine, founder of a carob-based natural products company, expressed her excitement about receiving the Orange Corners award.
“I’m very happy today to have won the Orange Corners prize,” she said with enthusiasm, adding that the initiative “had already helped me a lot to improve my project, and today they will help me even more so that it becomes reality and grows.”
Her venture produces natural, sugar-free, and gluten-free products, including chocolate tablets and spreads made from carob.
“The project provides products that are sugar-free and don’t affect the health of people with diabetes, those with gluten allergies, or anyone following a specific diet. They can eat this chocolate without any negative impact,” Najoua explained.
Prizing relevance, feasibility, and social impact
The winners were selected for their projects’ relevance, feasibility, and societal impact.
Their success story began with an overwhelming response to the program’s call for applications in November 2024. From 170 initial submissions, organizers narrowed the field to 33 candidates who pitched to expert judges in December, ultimately selecting 15 startups for the intensive incubation program.
Speaking to MWN on the sidelines of the event, Adil Raitab, Economic Advisor at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Morocco, recalled that this edition’s winners had a diversity of projects.
“Participants from the BMK region showed a sense of creativity and adaptation to our program,” he noted.
For his part, the director of the CRI in Beni Mellal-Khenifra region, Adil Azmi, pointed out that this “truly ignites the potential of young talents, their creativity, their entrepreneurial spirit, and their sense of challenge and ambition.”
Most entrepreneurs “are full of hope, energy, and enthusiasm,” he noted, adding that it is high time for the CRI as “ecosystem actors to help them to succeed in their projects.”
Meanwhile, Abdelouahab Dlia, Regional Director of OFPPT Beni Mellal-Khenifra, expressed joy at hosting the ceremony, saying, “Today, we are very happy to have welcomed and celebrated the final of Orange Corners.”
Speaking to Morocco World News (MWN), Dlia mentioned how the initiative supports “business creation projects by our young men and women in the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region” and aligns with “Pillar 4 of professional training outcomes and project initiators.”
The OFPPT leader stressed the program’s role in “mobilizing territorial intelligence in terms of business creation and instilling a business culture among our youth.”
Meryem Benomar, the director of the Cité des Métiers et des Compétences in Beni Mellal-khenifra, which hosted the ceremony, also attended the program’s graduation ceremony.
Implemented by Bidaya, Morocco’s leading social-environmental startup incubator, the program provided participants with monthly allowances of MAD 3,000 ($300), prototyping grants of MAD 20,000 ($2,000), and access to comprehensive mentorship.
The Beni Mellal program focused on priority sectors including water, energy, agriculture, and circular economy solutions – areas crucial for Morocco’s sustainable development goals.
Orange Corners is an initiative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands aimed at stimulating entrepreneurship amongst African, Asian and Middle Eastern youth. The program works on setting up ‘corners’ throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East where young entrepreneurs can follow an extensive training program to enhance the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to successfully grow their businesses.
The initiative collaborates with local, Dutch, and international partners in different fields, such as governmental institutions, knowledge institutions, service providers, aiming to increase youth employment rates and economic growth.
Each Orange Corners is initiated by the local embassy, operating as an instrument of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Since its founding in 2015, Bidaya has supported over 500 projects nationwide, facilitating €3.5 million in total financing. Notably, 45% of supported projects are led by women entrepreneurs, reflecting the program’s commitment to gender equality.
This initiative reinforces Morocco’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly in regions outside major urban centers, demonstrating how international partnerships can effectively empower local talent and drive economic development.
