The Social EnterpreNorth Competition is a component of the British Council's Social Enterprise Programme funded by the British Embassy to support young people who aspire to positively impact the communities in the Tangier Tetouan Al Hoceima region, by rewarding projects that provide employment opportunities and innovative solutions to the social, environmental and / or cultural needs.

Aim and duration

The Social EntrepreNorth competition aims to encourage young people between the ages of 18 and 35 who have a project, an organization / company in a starting phase. This competition rewards the most creative young entrepreneurs who have developed innovative ideas capable of impacting communities in northern Morocco.

The Social EntrepreNorth competition duration: From February 2017 to May 2017.

Several key events were organized within the framework of the Social EntrepreNorth project:

  • Capacity building of local experts through training of trainers in social entrepreneurship,

  • Raising awareness campaign for young students and young people active in the region,

  • Intensive training for 30 candidates selected from the region who presented their final projects in front of a panel of experts,

  • Announcement of 10 winning projects after a day of pitching. These 10 Social Enterprises, one funding totalling 530,000 Dhs and a 6-month incubation programme.

Social Entrepreneurship Raising Awareness Campaign

The raising awareness campaign was launched at the beginning of February 2017. Two local civil society organizations were selected from the training of trainers to conduct a series of information sessions with numerous local associations, organizations and schools. Several channels of communication were used to reach a large public. The main objective was to promote and let young people know about the concept of social entrepreneurship as well as encourage social entrepreneurs to apply to the Competition Social EntrepreNorth.

Intensive training in social entrepreneurship ( Bootcamp)

The selected candidates received five days Boot Camp training in social entrepreneurship, by a British expert from the RED OCHRE organization in collaboration with two Moroccan facilitators who were trained by the British Council.

This training helped participants to develop their skills and strengthen their knowledge of social entrepreneurship while helping them to develop their business plans and improve their pitches.

The Boot Camp allowed participants to test their skills and present their projects in real conditions before selecting 20 of them to participate in a month-long business coaching to improve their respective projects.

Pitching day and awards ceremony

Following a month of mentoring and business advisory, the finalists presented their projects to the jury in May 2017. The ten best Moroccan social enterprise projects won a prize of up to 60,000 MAD per project.

The ten winning projects are:

  • Jnan Nemla by Ouafaa Melehi
Problem targeted: It aims to provide healthy food and help local agricultures to avoid using chemical products.
 
Project: Eradicate the use of chemical pesticides and providing trainings to local farmers. 
  • Marginol by Boutaina Chabakki

Problem targeted: each year about 12000 m3 of leftover cooking oil is thrown into rivers. This contaminates local and regional water and has a bad impact on the environment and the health of the locals.

 Project: Marginol recycles used cooking oils to produce natural cosmetics products which respect the environment and create job opportunities in the region.

  • NoBox Lab by Walid Machrouh

Problem targeted: Lack of 21st Century skills approaches in our elementary and primary pedagogical learning materials. 

Project: Developing learning materials to help kids acquire life skills such as critical thinking, decision making, innovation and social engagement through face to face workshops and a digital platform.  

  • Zelij by Saif Eddine Laalej

Problem targeted: The huge amount of plastic waste in Morocco. The lack of infrastructure in rural areas, notably the lack of road sanitation in the northern countryside.

Project: The production of self-locking paving, tiling and traditional zelij-based recycled plastic with the same design and features of ordinary products, three times cheaper, harder and durable.

  • Djebli Club by Alae Hammioui
Problem targeted: poverty and radicalization due to environmental problems and unprofitable agriculture.
 
Project: Developing rural tourism and training locals to become future hosts by: building an eco-friendly hostel and organizing thematic stays and artistic residences.
  • Dar Jbel by Benamar Elias
Problem targeted: The degradation of the regional heritage, the economic movement towards the inner cities, the non-participation of women in the active economic and social life, the remoteness of the economic center.
 
 Project: Provide vocational training to the villagers  and conduct orientation courses for high school students in the region - Help any villagers with a personal project - Promote the participation of women in social and economic life.
  • The third layer by Fatima Zahra Roach
Problem targeted: The evergrowing number of artisans becoming unemployed from their craft.
 
Project: To collaborate with these artisans in creating a sustainable clothing brand, improving their artisanal skills/dressmaking through this process of creating a contemporary fashion line. Setting up exhibitions that showcase these artists’ skills to encourage exposure to UK markets for work collaboration, exhibitions will use local artists to collaborate with on creating innovative ways to do so. 
  • Earthy Fish by Maha Charkaoui
Problem targeted: Intensive use of chemical fertilizers.
 
Project: An organic fertilizer based on fish waste and rich in several essential materials such as; Nitrogen, Phosphorus, calcium for natural development of plants.
  • Bio Agri by Ilyass hajji
Problem targeted: the use of chemical insecticides and their bad impact on the environment, the production and the consumers.
 
Project: Production of bio insecticides by using natural plants.
  • Africa Life Solutions (ALS) by Yahya Lougaghi

Problem targeted: In morocco over 200 000 Ha become uncultivable which negatively affects farmers. They lose their main source of income, and in our country more than 2,700 villages are suffering from this problem.

Project: Production of alternative products to chemicals (Insecticides, pesticides, Composts).

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