Al Fikra, Qatar's National Business
Plan Competition
2014
Overview
January 2014
Objectives
• Raise awareness about entrepreneurship and promote community interest on
starting new enterprises.
• Provide project flow to the different incubators and thus reinforce the
Entrepreneurial eco-system.
• Convert business plans into a real businesses.
• Foster creativity and introduction of new products and services, which in turn
would lead to emergence of new businesses and hence diversification in the
local market.
Al Fikra 2013 – Background Overview
Timeline
Launch Date: January 23rd 2013
End Date: May 9th 2013
Applicants 2013
127 Business Ideas were submitted (Registered Applications)
80 Business Plans were submitted
69 Business Plans were Eligible for Judging Panel Evaluation
6
Winners
54% of total submissions were eligible
Workshops
Six awareness sessions
Five Financial Statement Analysis
Five Business Plan Writing
Two “A to Z of Entrepreneurship” Workshops
290 people attended the workshops
Al Fikra 2013 – Workshops
Business
Planning
Workshops
Financial
Planning
Workshop
Presentation workshops
and One to One coaching
College of North
Atlantic Qatar
21-Jan
13-Feb
8-Apr
Virginia
Commonwealth
University
19-Jan
18-Feb
10-Apr
Qatar University
22-Jan / 6-Feb
24-Feb / 25-Mar
14-Apr / 22-Apr
Carnegie Mellon
University
26-Jan
20-Mar
17-Apr
Georgetown
University
4-Feb
11-Mar
13-Apr
Stenden
University Qatar
9-Feb
12-Mar
24-Apr
If you wish to conduct more workshops, please contact us:
halmisnad@eq.gov.qa
+974 40125021
Al Fikra 2013 – Background Overview
Total Applications Breakdown by Sector
Food & Beverage
8%
Retail Health
3%
4%
Technonolgy
39%
Services
23%
Manufacturing
7%
Education
5%
Arts &
Entertainment
8%
Training &
Development
3%
Lessons Learnt – Al Fikra 2013
•
Integrate Arabic language completely into Al Fikra
•
Provide Greater Prizes, both cash and support
•
Streamline Application
Presentation)
•
Engage stakeholders and academic partners in the planning stage
•
Provide a call center
•
Expand our marketing campaign to reach a larger audience
Process
(Business
Idea,
Business
Plan,
Al Fikra 2014
Timeline
Announcement: November 17th -19th 2014
Launch Date: January 12th 2014
End Date: TBD with Academic Partners
Applicants 2014 (Forecasted)
130 Submissions
6
Winners
Workshops (Forecasted)
Six Financial Statement Analysis
Six Business Plan Writing
Three Workshops led by Sponsors
One to One Coaching Sessions
*All Arabic Workshops will be held at Qatar University
Target Audience
University Students
Professionals
Attends University
Employed Professional
Unemployed Professional
Qatari Resident
Qatari Resident
Eligibility Criteria
• Qatari college students and new graduates from Qatar
• Qatari professionals, entrepreneurs and postgraduates
with business plans for Qatar
• For teams of residents living in Qatar, a Qatari partner per
team is required in order to set a business with a legal
structure that could be operated and registered in the
State of Qatar
Proposed Awards
Cash Prize
2013
2014
1st Place
50,000 QAR
140,000 QAR
2nd Place
30,000 QAR
70,000 QAR
3rd Place
20,000 QAR
40,000 QAR
1st Place
-
2 Years - (QAR 1,460000)
2nd Place
-
1 Year - (QAR 730,000)
3rd Place
-
1 Year - (QAR 730,000)
1st Place
-
100,000 QAR
2nd Place
-
50,000 QAR
3rd Place
-
25,000 QAR
Best University Award
-
50,000 QAR
Incubation
ISTESHARA Coupons
*This applies to both categories
Best University Awards
One University will receive a cash prize of 50,000 QAR for participating
and being the most involved
This will be measured through the following:
• Amount of applications from that particular university
• Amount of attendees to workshops from that particular university
Marketing Brief
Social
Media
Newspapers
Website
Al Fikra
2014
Word of
Mouth
Sponsors
Academic
Partners
Marketing Deliverables
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Posters
Web Banners
E-mail Shot
Backdrop
Roll Ups
Welcome Pack & Notepad
Brochure & Notepad
Bag
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
USB
Envelope & Invitation
E-Invite
Awards & Plaques
Certificates & Cheques
Film
Print Ads
Gift Item
KPIs
•
Reach/Exceed Forecasted Applicant Target
•
No. of People attending workshops
•
Social Media Reach (compared to last year)
•
Number of eligible applicants
•
Higher involvement of Qatari participants
Milestones
Milestone
Estimated Date
Press Conference/ Launch of Al Fikra
Jan 13th
Online Application Opens
Jan 14th
Online Application Closes (Deadline)
March 31st
Business Plan Writing Workshops
Jan 14th – Feb 9th
Financial Statement Analysis Workshops
Feb 13th - Mar12th
Evaluation sessions by judging panel & Short listing
Presentation Skills Workshop & One on One Mentoring
Final presentations to judges & winners selection
Gala Dinner to Announce Final Winners and best University Award
Apr 1st – Apr 7th
Apr 8th – 24th
Apr 27th – May 1st
May 9th
Platinum Sponsors
Start Up Development Partner
Economic Development Partner
Academic Partners
ENTERPRISE QATAR
WWW.EQ.GOV.QA
WWW.ALFIKRA.QA
TEL: 40125000
FAX: 40125001