{"id":589014,"date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/goinggreens\/last-years-smart-green-projects-awardees-where-are-they-now\/"},"modified":"2023-06-20T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-06-20T00:00:00","slug":"last-years-smart-green-projects-awardees-where-are-they-now","status":"publish","type":"goinggreen","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/goinggreens\/last-years-smart-green-projects-awardees-where-are-they-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Last year\u2019s Smart Green Projects awardees: Where are they now?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span>A sit down with some of the Smart Green Projects initiative finalists:<\/span>It has been more <\/span>than six months since Egypt\u2019s<\/span>Smart Green Projects Initiative<\/a><\/span>(SGP) went live, shining a light on 18 of the most promising green projects the country has to offer. Now, as the initiative gears up for round two, we check in with a few of the projects recognized in the first iteration of the program and find out whether the SGP is making a difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

The SGP: A primer.<\/span> In the lead-up to last year\u2019s COP27 summit, the Planning Ministry unveiled <\/span>the SGP initiative \u2014 a call for large, medium-sized, and small-scale domestic projects, startups, nonprofit community initiatives and activities, and gender-related and sustainability-focused projects that aim to make the country greener using tech solutions. The projects need to check six boxes, ensuring they\u2019re both green and tech-driven, they\u2019re economically feasible and scalable, and that they deliver on sustainability and empowerment metrics. The government whittled down more than 6k applicants <\/span>to just 18 (pdf)<\/a><\/span>, which received cash prizes and traveled to COP27 to present their ideas to investors.<\/span><\/p>\n

The SGP also helps projects unlock a wider net of support:<\/span> The selected projects receive <\/span>backing not only from the government \u2014 via the Planning Ministry and local authorities \u2014 but also from a number of financial institutions. The <\/span>European Bank for Reconstruction and Development<\/a><\/span>, the <\/span>World Bank, the UN and the Food and Agriculture Organization<\/a><\/span> (FAO), as well as a number of <\/span>local banks<\/a><\/span>, with technical support, training, and business advisory services.<\/span><\/p>\n

ENTERPRISE SPOKE TO SOME OF THE FINALISTS- <\/span><\/p>\n

#1- The <\/span>Egyptian Waste Bank<\/a><\/span>:<\/span> \u201cThe project aims to connect all the parties involved in waste <\/span>management from the waste source to its final destination \u2014 be it destruction or recycling,\u201d founder Atta Gad Al Kareem Mahmoud told Enterprise. \u201cWe offer an integrated digital platform, offering waste management services at all times and in all places.\u201d The project aims to integrate informal waste workers into the formal system, granting them benefits and ins. It will also launch its own digital platform allowing households to earn in return for their recyclable waste. \u201cA five-person family can make up to EGP 1k a month from their recyclable waste,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Enter the SGP:<\/span> \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t have been able to carry out the project without the government\u2019s <\/span>support,\u201d Mahmoud said, name checking the Local Development Ministry, which is the state entity responsible for waste management. Support offered through the initiative will enable the project to expand its footprint, he said. \u201cWe first want to test out the project in Luxor for a few months before rolling out the same model in the rest of the country.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

#2- <\/span>Bab Rizq Junk<\/a><\/span>:<\/span> The project first started when a few years back silver and gold prices <\/span>started increasing, and founder Wehad Samir had to find another way to keep her jewelry business going. \u201cI started using silver cutlery and transforming it into jewelry pieces \u2026 and silver cutlery became hard to find so I started looking at everything else \u2014 an old teapot, nails and bolts, and old computer hardware,\u201d Samir said. She also expanded her umbrella, instead of just creating jewelry, to create clothing and home decor pieces. <\/span><\/p>\n

How the SGP helped:<\/span> \u201cI got a full ride scholarship from the UN Women to study digital <\/span>marketing between the American University in Cairo and an institute in the US,\u201d she said, adding that the initiative also helped put her and her project on the map and is currently working to secure funding.<\/span><\/p>\n

#3-<\/span>Engazaat\u2019s<\/a><\/span> land reclamation project: <\/span>Launched in 2011, \u201cEngazaat is Egypt\u2019s first full utility <\/span>company,\u201d cofounder Muhammad El Demerdash told us. \u201cWe deliver water, energy, and utilities to different sectors from sustainable sources,\u201d he said. The company\u2019s land reclamation project, the Sustainable-Agro-Village and Entrepreneurship Park (SAVE), was one of the 18 selected by SGP. \u201cWe receive a deserted piece of land and handle the design, building, finances, and utilities to then deliver it to the farmer a piece of land that they can use for production,\u201d El Demerdash said. SAVE began commercial operations during COP27.<\/span><\/p>\n

The SGP + EBRD provided support: <\/span>\u201cWe are in the growth stage, and one of the challenges <\/span>we faced was regarding how to manage their growth in a sustainable way \u2026 the EBRD was involved in the advisory capacity on how to support our growth with consultancy schemes and support packages that would help take us to the next level,\u201d El Demerdash told us, adding that the SGP initiative helped raise awareness of the project among potential stakeholders. \u201cThe project had to overcome cultural, social, and regulatory barriers to deliver on an existential challenge \u2026 when the government recognized our project and what we did it helped change the trajectory of our project,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

#4- <\/span>Eco Greeno\u2019s<\/a><\/span> Ekbesni: <\/span>Ekbesni (Compress Me) envisions launching a fleet of vehicles <\/span>capable of compressing plastic on the go, founder Maged El Halafawy told Enterprise. The vehicles would pick up the waste in return for a financial reward and take it to a recycling facility. Initially the vehicles ran on gas and the compressor was powered by solar panels, but the company is now working on replacing the vehicles with EVs. \u201cThe compressor is ready, we\u2019re done with its specs and engineering design and now we\u2019re working on producing our electric vehicle, which will be made using local components,\u201d El Halafawy said.<\/span><\/p>\n

How the SGP helped: <\/span>The initiative enabled the company and its project get exposure to the <\/span>market due to its presence at COP27, said El Halafawy. \u201cWe didn\u2019t really get funding, We just received the [EGP 250k] prize but other than that the project is entirely self-funded,\u201d he clarified.<\/span><\/p>\n

** In next week\u2019s Going Green:<\/span> Applicants to SGP 2.0 have only a few days to get their bids <\/span>in. In next week\u2019s Going Green, we look at the second iteration of the SGP and what projects need to do to apply before the deadline at the end of this month.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Y<\/span>our top green economy stories for the week:<\/span><\/p>\n