BPC Buhleni roadshow postponed

MBABANE - TechnoServe has postponed the final Believe Begin Become (BBB) Youth Business Plan Competition (BPC) roadshow scheduled for this Saturday at Ebuhleni to next weekend February 28, 2009.

BPC Manager Jean Mwenda said the postponement was in respect of the annual marula festival taking place in the same place on Saturday.

TechnoServe has been conducting regional roadshows for the past three weeks to encourage young people to join the youth business plan competition.

Local entertainment and events manage-ment company Swazi Boy Entertainment has been engaged to manage the roadshows. Last weekend TechnoServe held the event at Mahlanya.

"So far we are impressed by the level of interest shown by young people to participate in this programme.

"Through these roadshows we have been able to have one-on-one consultations with potential applicants on how to go about putting together the application.

"This has been also an opportunity for the young people to hear stories of others who have benefitted from this programme," Mwenda said.

Mwenda encouraged young people at Ebuhleni and surrounding areas to attend the roadshow to understand how this programme would help them to access intensive business training, personal coaching and mentoring by senior business people as well as seed capital prizes to invest in their businesses

Funded by the US Agency for International Development, TechnoServe set aside a total of E775 000 to be won as seed capital prizes by participants who would come up with brilliant, bankable business plans.

Mwenda stressed that applicants needed to put together a four page business summary, along with the application form to enter the business plan competition.

"Judges will select 60 participants who will advance to the next stage which includes training, mentoring and business plan development. It is then that participants will develop their four page business paper into a complete 15-20 page business plan," she explained.

TechnoServe officially launched the youth business plan competition on January 31, 2009 and the application period is open until April 3, 2009.

The target group is the youth between 18-30 years old with new innovative business ideas or has an existing business based in Swaziland.

Mwenda said applications forms were available in various centres such as the TechnoServe office in Mbabane, Swaziland National Youth Council, ACAT, The Business Place in Big Bend and Lulote in Manzini.

She also said they could be also downloaded from www.believe-begin-become.com and they would be printed in the in the Times Sunday.