Sustainability in Design Entrepreneurship

Context                                   

The Goethe-Institut Libanon within the framework of FANTASMEEM and in partnership with EcoConsulting, is preparing to implement a hybrid training and mentoring programme dedicated to design entrepreneurs and creative professionals (from all fields of design) with advanced freelance practices or established businesses that are based in Lebanon. The aim of the programme is to support design entrepreneurs to sustainably maintain and scale up their practices or business activities, to achieve a higher environmental, social, and economic impact within their creative practice, and to overcome challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis.

 

About the Programme

The programme will take place over the period of 3 months between mid-June and mid-September 2022 and will support up to 20 – 25 established design entrepreneurs, whose sources of income have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic or the economic crisis in the country. The selected participants will receive up to 90 hours of training and capacity building sessions on environmental sustainability, circular economy, and business development, in addition to a series of individual mentoring sessions and field-specific group coaching sessions based on the needs of the participants. The programme will also have a strong focus on networking, exposure, and matchmaking. Furthermore, a monthly stipend (€500 – €700) will be granted to each participant as financial support to maintain their livelihoods during the programme period. The programme content will be delivered in English, with with both English and Arabic being used for discussions and questions during the sessions.

 

Who can apply?

Advanced or established design entrepreneurs from all fields of design, who either have a freelance practice, a start-up, or a business entity in the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) sector based in Lebanon and whose sources of income have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis.

                         

Eligibility Requirements

You are eligible to apply to this programme, if you:

  • are an established design entrepreneur and active in any field of design
  • have an advanced freelance practice or established business entity in the CCI sector, which is based in Lebanon
  • have at least 2 years of experience as a freelance design entrepreneur
  • your source of income and capacity to maintain business activities have been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis in Lebanon
  • are not receiving financial support or scholarship from other sources during the programme period, and not benefiting from other parallel Goethe-Institut Libanon’s programmes
  • are willing and able to fully commit for 3 months between mid-June and mid-September 2022

*Women professionals are highly encouraged to apply.

*Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously benefited from Goethe-Institut Libanon’s programmes or funding in the field of CCI.

 

Programme Components

The “Sustainability in Design Entrepreneurship” programme curriculum incorporates the following 5 distinct but interconnected components to support participants in strengthening their businesses, taking into account the 3 pillars of Sustainability: Environmental, Social, and Economic.

  • Component I – Sustainable Design & Circular Business Model
  • Component II – Developing a Comprehensive Business Model
  • Component III – Branding, Marketing, and Communication
  • Component IV – Pitching your Innovative Business Idea
  • Component V – Networking, Matchmaking, and Community Building

Read the attached Call for Applications to know more about each component and the programme objectives. 

 

Monthly Stipend

Participants will receive a monthly stipend during the programme period as financial support to maintain their livelihoods. The amount of the stipend will be determined after the selection process and it will be within the range of 500 EUR - 700 EUR per month (all participants will receive the same amount).

Conditions of the monthly stipend:

  • All participants are required to actively participate and attend all programme teaching and coaching modules and related activities, as well as complete all required assignments.
  • Unjustified absences will result in a deduction from the stipend amount of the corresponding month
  • In case of dropping out during the course of the programme, the stipend will be suspended and will not be allocated even for partially attended months.

 

Call Type
Call for Trainings
Organisation
Goethe-Institut Libanon
Intervention Sectors
Development
Environment
Social & Cultural Development
Training & Capacity Building
How to Apply

Application Requirements                                                                           

Applications must be submitted via the Goethe-Institut’s Application Portal (GAP) on the link mentioned above until April 17, 2022 at the latest. The following three documents must be uploaded in their corresponding sections in your application, and they should be in English, in PDF format, and up to 10 MB.

  1. Resume
  2. Portfolio
  3. Motivation letter – which should include:
  • short description of your business, its relevance to CCI, and its potential to initiate a positive change in the CCI sector in Lebanon
  • explanation of your professional situation and start-up development in the context of the current crisis in Lebanon, how your income and business activities were affected by the crisis, and how you plan to overcome it
  • your willingness to look into and potentially implement new innovative and sustainable solutions for your business activities and why you think this is important
  • how you think this programme would help you maintain or expand your business activities in Lebanon: What kind of training, coaching, networking you are mostly in need of and expect to receive from the programme?
  • how you plan to commit to the programme (timewise, including time for exercises and preparation work between sessions) without putting your business at risk.

*You need to apply as an individual applicant and not as a team or a business.

*The Goethe-Institut Libanon reserves the right to suspend the stipend award and require reimbursement upon realizing fraud or infringement in any of the submitted documents.

*Applications that are incomplete, sent after the deadline, or not submitted online through the GAP portal will not be assessed.

 

Selection Process

  • Only complete applications submitted through GAP and before the deadline will be taken into consideration.
  • A committee of jurors will evaluate all the complete applications and select the final candidates.
  • Only selected candidates will be contacted.
  • Selected candidates should confirm their participation in the programme within 3 days of receiving the acceptance email. Candidates who do not respond within the mentioned timeframe will be automatically dismissed.
  • Once the candidates confirm their participation, they will be asked to sign an agreement with the Goethe-Institut that indicates the terms of their participation and stipend payments.

*For inquiries, please contact EcoConsulting team at info@ecoconsulting.net  until April 14, 2022.

*For more information about how to register on the GAP portal and fill in your application, please click on this link to check the GAP Registration & Application Guidelines

Deadline
Countries
Lebanon