To boost state industrialisation drive: SME Promotion Agency empowers 26 young innovators.

The subventions were handed out to the beneficiaries on Monday December 18 in Yaounde. 
This was during the award ceremony of SMEPA’s 3rd Call for Projects Proposal of the Prototyping Support Fund.
The ceremony was chaired by the Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Achille Bassilekin III. 
This was in the presence of the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutsou and SMEPA General Manager, Jean Marie Badga and national and international partners. 
The 26 beneficiaries secured compensations for their innovative prototypes, in domains like digital innovation, agricultural transformation and development-oriented social domains. 
They bagged home prizes ranging from 2 million FCFA to 6 million FCFA in categories like the best digital innovation project as well as youngest and oldest prototype project owners. 
The beneficiaries walked their ways through the final stage after three evaluation stages.
A total of over 700 young people submitted their applications for the first preliminary stage launched in September this year. 
Out of this number, 100 files were retained from which 26 were finally selected to benefit from the subvention.

Proto-Fund a major player in Cameroon’s emergence drive
The minister of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicraft, Achille Bassilekin III while congratulating the various winners, described the Prototype Support Fund as being highly strategic. 
The member of government said the beneficiaries of the 3rd phase will go a long way in positively contributing to the country’s industrialization drive as anchored on the 2020-2030 National Development Strategy, SND30 plan. 
“The dynamism for the industrialization of our country, the acceleration of our strength and the coming to fusion of the plan for an emergent Cameroon will be done with these young innovators who are bringing us workable solutions that will be produced at an industrial level to boost our economic vibrancy,” he said.
The project, he said, is powering the nation’s 2035 emergence drive as championed by development icon and leader, the Head of State, President Paul Biya.
“The prototyping fund exists throughout the world in terms of identifying ideas of projects that could be turned into prototype. And when you have a prototype, you have some intellectual property rights that you can value,” Minister Bassilekin III detailed on the importance of the scheme.

Beneficiaries express gratitude, promise to drive positive change 
Those who benefitted from the subvention have expressed gratitude to the government through the ministry and SMEPA, promising to out in their all to ensure their respective projects, some of which have gone beyond the prototyping phase, are realised.
Kouoplong Pyrrus pocketed 5 million FCFA, including the Head of State’s Special Prize for his innovation through the Clinic Agro service which helps farmers to detect infections on crops and evaluate soil for farming. 
“It will help us to expand to a level where we can be able to reach some one million users in Cameroon since we have been able to bring some partners on board who are going to help us have access to these farmers. We are targeting at least one million farmers,” he said. 
The Prototype Support Fund was launched by SMEPA in 2020 under the supervision of the Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicraft.
The project which has since seen over 50 youths benefitting from subventions in millions, is designed to accompany young innovators with projects at the prototype phase of primary stages by developing them notably through funding and other supports.