LocationsWhat do we know about Enkopa and its connection with UNDP?
October 23, 2023
The Enkopa movement was launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Labor and Skills with the support of the United Nations Development Programme. It seeks to celebrate and promote Ethiopian entrepreneurship stories, particularly those that have not been widely shared, to encourage various stakeholders such as industry leaders, corporate executives, engineers, start-up founders, ecosystem builders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and educators to contribute to a thriving entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The various initiatives under Enkopa namely the annual Enkopa summit, incubation facility and support and the knowledge exchange and networking platforms, initiative around FROG (Freelancing, Outsourcing, Gigs) to scale partnerships with tech firms and attract FROG jobs and make Ethiopia a FROG hub, are recurring events taking place periodically with the support and collaboration of global and local partners in the entrepreneurship and digital sectors, offering vital support.
With the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS) at the forefront and the invaluable technical assistance from UNDP through the EDGET program, Ethiopia has made significant progress in developing a draft proclamation for startups and innovative businesses. This draft is now ready for endorsement by the Parliament, marking an important step towards creating a supportive legal framework for the growth and development of startups and innovative businesses in the country.
UNDP used the Enkopa Summit as an opportunity to introduce a crowdfunding campaign to rebuild the businesses of women impacted by the conflict in northern Ethiopia
UNDP’s engagement in the 2023 Enkopa Summit
As a key programme partner, UNDP has been providing financial and technical support for the annual Enkopa summit, which is an industry event that brings together entrepreneurs and policymakers for networking and dialogue, for the past two years. Its engagement as a lead sponsor in the 2023 summit that took place 12-13 October 2023 in Addis Ababa also amplified its strategic position in creating and promoting entrepreneurship development.
The 2023 Enkopa summit provided two days filled with informative keynote speeches, inspiring panel discussions, and ample networking opportunities for investors and innovators in innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition, the summit served as a valuable platform for entrepreneurs and innovators to gain knowledge from industry experts, find inspiration, and establish connections with the necessary resources for success.
The Enkopa summit hosted an extensive lineup of 40-panel sessions across four stages, featuring over 100 renowned experts from around the globe. UNDP also took part in the exhibition that brought more than 30+ startup exhibitors and showcased its work under the Innovative Finance lab, which was visited by hundreds of participants from across different walks of life including government officials, students, founders of SMEs, and the media.
UNDP has provided US$ 63,738 to MoLS over three years (2021-2023) in response to the ministry’s request for resources to organise the Enkopa Summit to create positive engagements around entrepreneurship and opportunities for startups for the private sector, the public sector and development partners.
About the EDGET programme
The Empower, Digitize, and Globalize Entrepreneurs for Ethiopia’s Transformation (EDGET) program was launched in August 2020. This programme, funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and implemented by the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MOLS), aims to further enhance the Digital Entrepreneurship Vision 2025 by supporting and promoting digital entrepreneurship across all sectors of the economy. So far, EDGET has provided an incubation facility and support to 50 early-stage and high-growth digital entrepreneurs, along with seed money awards totalling US$125K. Besides, 30 youth-run digital startups are provided with US$ 5,000 seed capital. One of the major initiatives under the EDGET program is the Enkopa movement.
