The YERAME project is a glimmer of hope and opportunity for young, ambitious, rurally based Mediterranean entrepreneurs. The project wants to empower them with entrepreneurial skills, encourage creative thinking, and create long-term business ventures that will boost the economy, thereby revitalising these areas.
Committed partners are determined through the YERAME project to address some challenges that young Mediterranean rural entrepreneurs face. These issues may include a lack of counselling, networking opportunities, and resource availability, which are much easier to access in most cases for urban entrepreneurs as opposed to their rural counterparts. It is through providing a comprehensive support system inclusive of mentorship, coaching, and exposure via a competitive presentation platform where business ideas are nurtured, showcased, and improved upon that YERAME hopes to bridge this gap in between.
One of the fundamental keystones achieved and carried out by YERAME is an intensive training programme for young entrepreneurs aimed at imparting them with the necessary skills to succeed. This course encompasses important elements of business growth, such as market research, financial management, marketing strategies, and sustainable business practices. Through this programme, the participants develop the knowledge and self-assurance required to transform their innovative ideas into profitable business plans.
YERAME works on putting in place a strong mentorship programme, realising the crucial role played by mentors in entrepreneurial success. Young entrepreneurs get individualised guidance and support from experienced mentors who walk them through every step of the way towards achieving their objectives. They assist learners to refine their business concepts, develop comprehensive business plans, and navigate start-up processes associated with rural-based enterprise development. There is an ongoing support system for this mentorship programme, which enables the participants to continuously gain insights from seasoned professionals.
To further inspire and motivate young entrepreneurs, YERAME organises a national start-up contest in each participating country. Herein, participants present their business ideas before experts, who assess them based on several criteria, including innovation, originality, creativity, feasibility, viability, practicality, market potential, growth prospects, venture scalability, etc. Moreover, the wisely-selected jury evaluates youth entrepreneurs’ depicted qualities like credibility, commitment, passion, dedication, motivation towards implementing their project, teamwork skills, networking and collaboration abilities, competitive advantage, adaptability as well as flexibility in the business environment, leadership and management skills, etc. At the end of the contest, three young entrepreneurs are going to be selected to win three prizes, and the follow-up process with them will continue thereafter.
Apart from the training and contest, YERAME extends its support to young entrepreneurs through a longer-term mentorship program. This initiative concentrates more on the practical implementation of their business plans as opposed to just offering them advice that can help them overcome the challenges they face and reach their goals. The mentoring phase holds great importance in terms of community participation and involvement in the economic and social advancement of rural areas.
Quantitative and qualitative measures are used to gauge the impact of the YERAME project. Success is not only measured by the number of ideas that have been successfully implemented in businesses but also by participants’ benefits from the training delivered and the viability of newly formed sustainable businesses. Thus, it is not just about helping individual entrepreneurs but also about nurturing an entrepreneurial culture that will positively persist into the distant future among rural communities.
The fruitful results realised by YERAME become possible because different stakeholders deploy their expertise as well as resources to collaborate with it. These stakeholders include the public sector, universities, NGOs, and some other private players in an entrepreneurial-friendly environment. Even though YERAME evolves further into its existence, it still focuses on empowering the next generation of rural entrepreneurs.
As far as the YERAME project goes, its mandate is to empower future generations of rural entrepreneurs. In this regard, YERAME assists in developing better lives for the rural Mediterranean communities by giving them the tools they need, guidance, and support towards a brighter future. The mentoring and training activities provided on an ongoing basis ensure that the young entrepreneurs are well positioned to take up modern business challenges within their regions, leading to sustainability.
The YERAME project is calling all young entrepreneurial minds in the Mediterranean rural zones into this transformational journey. For instance, you may have a business idea or have the passion to make a difference in your community; in either way, YERAME has got your back. We can together create a dynamic and sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem that benefits everybody.