Fonds-Proto 2026: Gov’t injects 70 million FCFA into 35 local innovations.

The 2026 edition was organised by SMEPA under the patronage of the President of the Republic. It was held under the theme: “Financing Local Solutions and Industrialisation of Cameroon”. 

The Minister of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Achille Bassilekin III, chaired the ceremony.

In attendance were the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gabriel Mbairobe, and the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Prof Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoua.

According to information published by SMEs ministry, the support is to enable the selected entrepreneurs complete their prototypes, formalise their businesses and begin protecting their intellectual property.

Minister Bassilekin III said the fund was created six years ago to support entrepreneurs and SMEs at the start-up stage through the rapid prototyping of their solutions. 

He said the initiative aims to reduce the premature abandonment of projects and improve access to professional credit.

“The beneficiaries and their prototypes represent catalysts for industrial development and will boost our growth sectors,” Bassilekin III said.

He further disclosed that about 100 projects had been developed since the fund was launched, generating direct and indirect jobs. He said financial assistance would be accompanied by technical support and continued monitoring in the field.

“The Fonds-Proto verifies that projects submitted for rapid prototyping meet the required standards, respond to an identified local need and align with the National Development Strategy and Industrialisation Master Plan,” the minister stated.

Enter SMEPA General Manager

Speaking earlier at the ceremony, SMEPA General Manager, Jean Marie Louis Badga, said the scheme targets projects whose relevance, usefulness, feasibility, profitability and potential for growth or employment creation have been established.

“This mechanism provides technical support to young entrepreneurs and innovative SMEs engaged in a serious prototyping phase. Its purpose is to reduce the difficulties faced by entrepreneurs and protect the intellectual property linked to their project ideas,” Badga said.

He appealed for greater involvement from development partners, financial institutions and businesses. Badga said the list of shortlisted projects remained open to organisations willing to support candidates who could not be funded with the available resources.

“SMEs are the foundation for creating and promoting the major companies of tomorrow. SMEPA therefore wants stronger involvement from economic operators, development partners and banks to facilitate incubation, technical assistance and access to financing for innovative project promoters,” he stated.

Zoom on 2026 edition

It emerged from the ceremony that SMEPA received 2,919 online applications for the sixth edition. Of the total, 1,495 applications were complete, while 1,424 were incomplete. 

A first jury shortlisted 51 projects before the grand jury evaluated and ranked the candidates according to merit. Thirty-five projects were eventually selected based on the resources available.

The top winner received the President of the Republic’s Award of 7 million FCFA. The second received 4.5 million FCFA, while the third, fourth and fifth winners secured 3.5, 3 million and 2.5 million FCFA respectively.

Winners ranked sixth to 10th received 2 million FCFA each. Those ranked 11th to 35th were awarded 1.5 million each FCFA. Two special awards for a woman and a young innovator, worth 1 million each FCFA, were also presented.

The top prize went to Djoumene Lagloire from the Littoral Region for a project to establish a semi-industrial footwear production unit using recycled tyres and locally sourced leather.

Beneficiaries hail support

Among the beneficiaries was Kamazong Fosso Willi Zita, who developed a locally manufactured machine for pressing neem oil. 

He said the equipment would reduce the time women in the Far North spend pressing neem seeds manually and provide cooperatives with a cheaper alternative to imported machinery.

According to Kamazong, the grant would be used to improve the prototype, which had already been tested at the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development, IRAD, in Douala, before being supplied to producers in the Far North.

Another beneficiary, Jato Mark Bimi, presented a blockchain-based QR traceability system for sunflower products. The technology, he said, will allow consumers to identify the farmer and determine when the sunflower was planted, harvested and processed.

“We are very happy to have been selected and funded because this will propel us to the next stage, which is blockchain traceability. We also received advice and established contact with a local company already working with the technology, and that support is worth more than the prize alone,” Bimi said.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3891 of Thursday August 27, 2026