Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa)—a launch pad for aspiring entrepreneurs in Sharjah and the UAE, has formed a strategic partnership with Crescent Enterprises, as part of its efforts to supporting the growth of socially-conscious entrepreneurs in the region.
As per the pact, Sheraa and Crescent Enterprises, which is a founding partner for Sheraa’s social entrepreneurship track, will co-create initiatives that help develop the region’s social entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Crescent Enterprises operates a diverse set of businesses from its base in the UAE. It is present across five continents through 20 subsidiaries and affiliates.
Through the partnership, Sheraa and Crescent Enterprises seek to develop a framework for social entrepreneurship in the UAE and the wider region, the statement said.
Sheraa and Crescent Enterprises will kick off the collaboration with a two-year pilot program consisting of 10 mentoring events for young entrepreneurs.
The program will also comprise three social enterprise challenges that encourage students to collaborate on developing innovative applications for social good. It will also provide aspiring startups with access to business support and mentoring, capitalizing on Crescent Enterprises’ global network.
Sheraa has been trying up with other Sharjah-based entities to broaden its offerings to aspiring entrepreneurs.
Last month, Sheraa partnered with budget carrier Air Arabia to launch a ‘travel and tourism’ track at its co-working space.
Entrepreneurs interested in the travel and tourism sector can undertake mentorship sessions at the Sheraa hub. Air Arabia will also provide seed funding for incubator teams.
Sheraa’s incubator program was launched in March 2017, and a four-month accelerator program begins in September 2017.
Sheraa also recently joined hands with Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone) to offer discounted free zone licenses to accelerator teams.
As per the pact, SAIF will provide discounted two-year free zone licenses to startups using Sheraa’s headquarters at the American University of Sharjah as their premises.