As part of its efforts to develop Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and startups, ADEPME (the Agency for the Development and Support of SMEs) launched a national workshop on Tuesday to map support structures. This initiative is being conducted with the support of the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and SMEs, and the German cooperation partner, GIZ.

This project aims to simplify and harmonize access to support services for Senegalese entrepreneurs by providing clear visibility into the public and private organizations operating in each region of the country. Currently, support is fragmented across more than fourteen ministries and numerous stakeholders, making information difficult to access.

Clarify roles and decentralize support

The Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce, Ibrahima Thiam, emphasized the importance of this initiative for the Senegalese entrepreneurial ecosystem.

According to him, "the national mapping of support structures will clarify the roles of each stakeholder, strengthen coordination between ministries, and guarantee easier access to services for all small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout the country." He also emphasized the need to decentralize support so that entrepreneurs in the regions benefit from the same level of service as in Dakar.

In parallel, ADEPME is working on updating the single funding window to facilitate the procedures for project promoters.

Support from German cooperation

For her part, the Secretary at the German Embassy in Senegal in charge of cooperation, Nina Neudecku, congratulated the government for its continued commitment to SMEs and startups, which she considers to be "at the center and heart of today's reforms".

Recalling the importance of their commitment to this sector, she specified that German technical and financial cooperation supports the growth of SMEs through financial funds made available to Senegalese structures to improve SME financing on the market and professional and continuing training for SMEs.

This project is taking place in a favorable context as Senegal occupies 8th place in Africa in the emergence of startups, a position that the authorities wish to consolidate by improving the business environment and access to support services.