Young entrepreneurs will get a clearer path to business support and bank financing under a new deal between Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP) and Réseau Entreprendre Maroc (REM). The deal brings together REM’s mentoring and interest-free honour loans with BCP’s banking and financing services. The goal is to help young founders develop their projects, start their businesses and access finance as they grow.
REM will select entrepreneurs through its START programme. The programme helps founders develop their business ideas, launch their companies and track their growth. Entrepreneurs also receive one-to-one mentoring from business leaders and honour loans.
BCP will provide banking services and financing solutions. The bank will also use its Fondation Création d’Entreprise (FCE) to support the programme.
“By strengthening our partnership with Réseau Entreprendre Maroc, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting entrepreneurs over the long term and facilitating their access to an ecosystem capable of sustaining their ambitions and the growth of their businesses,” said Naziha Belkeziz, chairman and CEO of Groupe BCP.
The partnership also aims to improve financial inclusion, support very small enterprises (TPEs) and help create jobs.
“This collaboration reflects a shared ambition: to strengthen support for young entrepreneurs and give them the means to transform their projects into sustainable, job-creating businesses,” said Wafa Belmaachi, president of Réseau Entreprendre Maroc.
The agreement brings together two parts of the business journey that often operate separately: early-stage mentoring and formal bank financing.
REM will help entrepreneurs prepare and develop their businesses before BCP provides banking and financing solutions.
BCP is one of the largest banking groups in the country. It has a strong retail banking network and supports small businesses through programmes including its Fondation Création d’Entreprise.
Réseau Entreprendre Maroc is part of the international Réseau Entreprendre network. It supports business founders through coaching from experienced business leaders and unsecured honour loans.
The partnership is designed to build stronger links between these support systems and help more very small businesses become sustainable, create jobs and contribute to economic activity.
The signing ceremony was attended by Belkeziz, BCP general manager in charge of retail banking Idriss Bensmail and Belmaachi.
