Tremplin Start-Up UEMOA initiative

From 2020 to 2024, the WAEMU Commission, in collaboration with the WAEMU Regional Consular Chamber (CCR-UEMOA) and the national Consular Chambers (CCn) of the eight Member States, implemented the Tremplin Start-Up UEMOA initiative. Operationally, the initiative takes the form of a regional competition designed to identify, reward and support the most outstanding start-ups, distinguished by the quality of their activity and their socio-economic impact. Through three editions focused on Green Economy (2020), Digital Economy and Agro-industry (2021), and Creative and Digital Marketing for Cultural and Creative Industries (2024), the program identified, rewarded and supported 87 outstanding start-ups (29 per edition) and their support organizations, with a total reward of 643 million CFA francs. In addition, under this initiative, support is provided to the best start-ups of all editions. This support consists of capacity-building sessions at both national and regional levels. As an example, with the support of WIPO, WAEMU Commission has held the “Intellectual Property Management Clinic”, a training program in intellectual property and business for twenty-six (26) start-ups of the initiative. The training program consisted of one-on-one mentoring sessions, with intellectual property and business experts, as well as coaching and networking.

The main expected results of the activity's implementation are to:

• Instill a dynamic of sub-regional competition for business promotion;
• Stimulate organizations promoting entrepreneurship and supporting startups in innovative, strategic, and high-growth-potential sectors;
• Promote innovative and competitive startups in the WAEMU Member States.

Through the three editions:

• 87 start-ups and their support organizations were rewarded;
• 188 start-ups have benefited from capacity building;

Over 1 billion CFA francs were mobilized from the Commission’s own resources, including:

• 643 million CFA for the rewards,
• More than 100 million CFA for communication,
• Over 110 million CFA for capacity building.

WAEMU Commission is looking for support from the alliance within the following areas: 1. Strategic and financial support

• Co-funding competitions, follow-up and capacity building programs, helping scale the prize pool and increase the number of start-ups supported.
• Mobilizing finance and investment capital to ensure start-ups transition from seed to growth stage.
• Designing a guarantee fund to facilitate access to finance for SMEs and start-ups of the initiative.

2. Technical assistance and capacity building

• Providing training, mentorship and coaching from a pool of continental and global experts on crucial topics.
• Supporting incubators and accelerators within the WAEMU region to strengthen local ecosystems.
• Developing digital learning platforms to extend access to entrepreneurial skills.

3. Networking / Partnerships

• Connecting WAEMU start-ups to regional and pan-African markets, investors and corporate partners through AEA’s network.
• Facilitating long-term partnerships between WAEMU Commission, private investors and development partners for ecosystem building.
• Showcasing success stories at continental and global forums to attract visibility and further investment.

4. Advocacy

• Working with WAEMU Commission and Member States to create a more enabling environment for entrepreneurs (e.g., regulatory reforms, simplified business processes).
• Promoting cross-border collaboration so that start-ups can easily scale beyond national markets.