Business Incubator Launches 5.5m Euro Project

Oct 15 , 2022


BIC Ethiopia launched a business incubator to be carried out in the next four years with 5.5 million euros, of which the European Union funds 90pc. Business Incubator Community Ethiopia - BIC Ethiopia - was officially launched last week with the presence of officials from the Ministry of Labour & Skills, Innovation & Technology, and delegates from the European Union (EU). BIC Ethiopia aspires to help start-ups and small businesses in the agri-tech sector, improving market access through capacity building, market access, and training.  Through financial and technical support, the project seeks to facilitate 15 business incubators, 700 start-ups, and 500 small businesses in four years. It wants to train 2,760 entrepreneurs. The project is expected to create 2,500 new jobs. The incubator capacity development program, the establishment of agri-tech and agri-business incubators, financing facility offers, and a holistic communication strategy outputs to be delivered through the project. BIC Ethiopia will implement the program, partnering with the Addis Abeba Chamber of Commerce & Industry, icehawassa, an incubation centre in Hawassa, Sidama Regional State, Growth Africa, and two non for profit organizations based in Europe: Menschen für Menschen and Adelphi gGmbH.


Radar

Amendment Expands Access for Foreign Traders

Foreign participation in Ethiopia's wholesale, retail, import, and export trade sectors has come under renewed focus as the Ethiopian Investment Board(EIB) approved a significant amendment to Directive No. 1001/2016  in its meeting on May 23, 2025. The amendment, proposed by the Ethiopian Investment Commission(EIC), focuses on refining the legal framework governing foreign investment in these sectors. The decision is part of a broader strategy to enhance the country's appeal as an investment...


Radar

NBE Sets Four Percent Ceiling on Foreign Exchange Fees

The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) issued a new foreign exchange market directive on May 20, 2025, that caps commercial banks' forex service fees at a maximum of four percent. Banks are instructed to adapt competitive, transparent, and streamlined pricing for all forex-related services. Effective May 26, 2025, total charges for purchasing foreign exchange whether for imports, service payments, or cash note purchases must not exceed the newly set limit. The directive also prohibits banks f...


Radar

SantimPay Launches Zero-fee Digital Remittance Platform

SantimPay has rolled out FrankRemit, first fully integrated, zero-fee digital remittance platform, in partnership with Bank of Abyssinia(BOA). The service smoothly connects all commercial banks and major mobile money providers, including Telebirr, M-Pesa, and CBE Birr which is a first of its kind in the country. FrankRemit is expected to revolutionise how the Ethiopian diaspora sends money home. Developed locally and tested over the past two weeks with successful transfers from multiple count...