The Authority of Social Contribution — Ma’an has extended the deadline till July 13 in response to the growing interest in its Ma’an Social Incubator Program (MSI) from members of the public and social entrepreneurs in the UAE, the region and the rest of the world.
It has already received more than 200 expressions of interest from members of the public and social entrepreneurs from different countries, including New Zealand, India, the UK, the US and South America
The Ma’an Social Incubator is a first-of-its-kind program in Abu Dhabi, offering a chance for people to develop their innovative ideas for social impact into a social enterprise or not-for-profit association.
A public workshop will be held in Abu Dhabi this month to give people advice and support on the application process and the deadline to apply has been extended to accommodate this workshop.
Launched in May, the Ma’an Social Incubator will support the winning 10 teams of two or three people to develop their social business ideas every six months. The winning teams are selected according to specific criteria, and the participants will be able to benefit from mentor guidance, milestone funding, office space, business expertise and access to investors. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to network with industry experts as well as honing their business skills through workshops and training programs.
Salama Al-Ameemi, director-general of Ma’an, said: “As our first pilot program, it has been really exciting to see the interest and enthusiasm from members of the community for the Ma’an Social Incubator.
“We realize though that the concept of social enterprises is still quite new here in Abu Dhabi and for some people this will be their first time applying to a social incubator program. That is why we want to extend the deadline to give people more time and to offer additional support and advice with the application process through a public workshop hosted by Ma’an.”
“The Ma’an Social Incubator is a fantastic opportunity for aspiring social entrepreneurs to make that first step toward growing a successful and sustainable business that contributes toward the common good.”
