FedSAEI shapes Benin's entrepreneurial ecosystem
In Benin, FedSAEI is creating a network that supports innovative entrepreneurs from the seed of a business idea through the growth phases. The NTF V FastTrackTech project at ITC has supported them since 2023 as they guide their members to business and professional growth. Working together, FedSAEI has optimized its services and nurtured Benin's tech companies.
FedSAEI sets up a framework for Beninese entrepreneurship
FedSAEI brings together 26 support structures covering the entire life cycle of an entrepreneurial project. Ideation, incubation, acceleration, fund-raising: this comprehensive network supports Benin's innovative entrepreneurs, at every stage of their development. This means that companies can more easily identify the right support partners and have full confidence in their skills.
‘We believe Benin's economy will grow through innovative, high-performance entrepreneurship. That's why, since 2022, FedSAEI has set out to tackle all entrepreneurship issues using effective, harmonized methods. This union of players in the support sector will enable us to professionalize and structure the Beninese entrepreneurial ecosystem, while providing a single, influential voice to public authorities,’ said Francis Bokossa, President of the Federation.
The NTF V FastTrackTech project helped strengthen the Federation's ability to offer its members long-term support, while gaining credibility and becoming a relevant intermediary with public authorities and partners.
‘The support of a law firm enabled us to obtain official authorizations from the Ministry of the Interior, formalizing our legal existence. At the same time, the support of an expert was decisive in clarifying our positioning and drawing up structuring strategic documents: a procedure manual for transparent internal management, an ambitious development plan up to 2028 to guide our future actions, and a clear membership policy defining our mutual commitments. These achievements give us a clear vision, transparent operations and enhanced credibility with our partners.’
Francis Bokossa is so satisfied with the outcomes because he actively contributed to drafting them. That's what makes the assignment with Raodath Aminou so special.
‘The beneficiary is a stakeholder in the process. This direct involvement ensures greater ownership and relevance of strategic documents. Co-construction guarantees that the documents produced don't end up at the bottom of a drawer,’ she said. With her international expertise and knowledge of West African best practices, Aminou has also infused FedSAEI with an ambitious vision that goes beyond traditional local perspectives.
Strategic partnerships and concrete initiatives
Now that the foundations have been laid, the Federation intends to consolidate its gains. ‘The support provided by the NTF V FastTrackTech project marked a turning point in our ability to establish partnerships. Our recent promising discussions with the Agence de Développement des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (ADPME), which could pave the way for new collaborations, bear witness to this. This is a significant step forward, because until now, initiating such dialogues has remained a challenge for us,’ said the FedSAEI president.
The Federation has also taken steps to strengthen its role in Benin's entrepreneurial ecosystem. For example, the Camp Synergie SAEI initiative will highlight the successes of support structures, and reward the best performers once a year.
The SAEI Tour will visit local communities to promote their support services and strengthen their grassroots ties.
Finally, SAEI Talks, a series of webinars open to all, plans to tackle entrepreneurial themes, showcasing the activities and expertise of their support structures.
To achieve its long-term objectives, the Federation is actively fund-raising – aided by a masterclass organized by the NTF V FastTrackTech project with the vice-president of the Nigerian network of entrepreneurial support structures.
‘This exchange of knowledge and best practices is a source of inspiration and a major asset for successfully tackling our next fund-raising steps,’ says Francis Bokossa, before concluding: ‘FedSAEI's trajectory is mapped out. We know where we want to go and what we want to do. Our ambition is to establish ourselves on a solid footing in our territory, with the firm intention of generating a profound and lasting systemic impact. We are committed to the long term!’
About the project
The Netherlands Trust Fund V (NTF) programme (July 2021 – June 2025) is based on a partnership between the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Trade Centre. NTF V supports SMEs in the digital technology and agribusiness sectors in Benin, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Senegal and Uganda. Its ambition is to contribute to an inclusive and sustainable transformation of agri-food systems partly through digital solutions, to improve the international competitiveness of local tech start-ups and to support the implementation of the export strategy of IT&BPO companies.
