Agenda

Sustainable entrepreneurship in the Southern Mediterranean: Building regional cooperation for a green transition

Tunis, 18-19 December 2025

Day 1 – 18 December 2025

08:30 – 09:00

Registration

Welcome and participant registration
09:00 – 09:30

Welcome and Opening Session

Opening speeches by Ministry of Environment in Tunisia, MedWaves, CITET and SPARK.
09:30 – 10:45

Session 1: Regional and national snapshots on sustainable business supporting ecosystems

  1. The Switchers Support Programme as an initiative to promote national partnerships in the Southern Mediterranean  Giorgio Mosangini, MedWaves (Spain).
  2. Green Forward programme for the southern Mediterranean:  Afef Ajengui, SPARK and Marwa Ouni, CITET (Tunisia).
  3. The Tunisian Ecosystem (PNS Tunisie): Sallouha Bouzgarrou and Khaled Elloumi, CITET (Tunisia).     
  4. Lebanese Ecosystem (EcoSwitch Coalition): Samar Dani, Injaz Lebanon (Lebanon)
10:45 – 11:00

Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:00

Session 2: Public policies supporting sustainable businesses

  1. Barcelona Convention’s Regional measures to support the development of circular businesses in the Mediterranean: TBC, MedWaves (Spain).
  2. Supporting policies for sustainable business development in the MENA countries: Hossam Allam, CEDARE (Egypt)
  3. Morocco’s Social and Solidarity Economy Law: Asmae Diani, REMESS (Morocco).
  4. Tunisian National Strategy for Ecological Transition: TBC, Ministry of the Environment (Tunisia).
12:00 – 13:00

Session 3: Experiences of support programmes for sustainable entrepreneurship

  1. Multi-country perspectives on sustainable business support: Nedal Zahran, Leaders International (Palestine).
  2. Boosting sustainable start-ups from universities: The experience of the B-Hub: Marwan Tarazi, Center for Continuing Education - Birzeit University (Palestine).
  3. How to drive start-ups towards environmental and social impact: Ahmed Bastawy, ICEALEX (Egypt).
  4. Boosting SMEs competitiveness and environmental sustainability: Asmaa Farah, Ecosystem (Morocco).
13:00 – 14:00

Networking Lunch

14:00 – 15:00

Session 4: Impact investment for sustainable start-ups and SMEs

  1. Current developments of venture philanthropy in the MENA region: Nour Laswi, ALFANAR (Jordan).
  2. Investment and finance’s challenges and needs of women-led green and social companies in the MENA region: Tamara Ghandour, RAMA Impact (Lebanon).
  3. Crowdfunding for sustainable businesses in the MENA region: Oumelghit Guelzim, HAPPY SMALA (Morocco).
  4. Impact finance in Tunisia - (Tunisia).
15:00 – 16:00

Session 5: Gender and sustainable business development

  1. Challenges and opportunities for women's participation in creating sustainable enterprises in the Mediterranean: Soukeina Bouraoui, CAWTAR (Tunisia).
  2. How to integrate the gender perspective among green BSOs?: Douja Gharbi, RedStart Tunisie (Tunisia).
16:00 – 17:00

Session 6: Presentation of the Regional Publication and Manifesto on Sustainable Business Support

17:00 – 17:30

Plenary Session: Synthesis and Collective Feedback

Summary of workshop outcomes and open discussion.
17:30 – 17:45

Closing and Coffee

Day 2 – 19 December 2025

08:30 – 09:00

Registration

Welcome and participant registration
09:00 – 10:15

Session 1: Masterclass

"Accessing Climate Finance, From Strategy to Project Submission": Tiangoua Kone, UNDP Climate Change BBPS (Côte d'Ivoire)
10:15 – 11:15

Session 2: Workshop sessions

Workshop 2: Regional best practices supporting the green transition carried out within the framework of Green Forward (Tunisia)
11:15 – 11:30

Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:30

Session 2: Workshop sessions

Workshop 3: Taxonomie verte: TBC, Expertise France (Tunisia)
10:15 – 11:15

Session 2: Workshop sessions

Workshop 4: ESG as a Driver of Competitiveness and Sustainable Growth: Aymen Ktari, PwC (Tunisia)
12:30 – 13:15

Plenary Session: Synthesis and Collective Feedback

Summary of workshop outcomes and open discussion.
13:15 – 14:15

Networking Lunch