Entrepreneurship Month in Benin (MEB) is a flagship annual event designed to give a major boost to the national private sector and promote local synergies. This report summarizes the main findings and recommendations from the five workshops/panels supported by the IYBA-SEED project as part of MEB 2025.
Strengthening synergies between stakeholders
Under the auspices of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (ADPME), MEB is a key moment for strategic dialogue between public stakeholders, entrepreneurship support organisations (ESOs), private companies, social and solidarity economy (SSE) organizations, and technical and financial partners.
It is a key moment of collective mobilization that aims to catalyze energies, raise awareness, and exchange ideas about the challenges and opportunities that shape entrepreneurship in Benin.
It was therefore logical for the IYBA-SEED project in Benin to support the co-organization of the MEB, in a dynamic of synergy between actors, both at the level of actions carried out by local structures in the territories and at the centralized level with the organization of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Days.
Committed Beninese stakeholders
The discussions provided an opportunity to exchange operational and institutional perspectives on the conditions for structuring MSMEs, the role of ESOs, inclusive digital transformation, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and the effectiveness of public instruments for promoting entrepreneurship. These meetings highlighted the fact that Benin now has a base of committed stakeholders, existing regulatory frameworks, and innovative initiatives, but could benefit from improvements in terms of coordination, clarity, and operational tools.
Identifying the major challenges of entrepreneurship in Benin
The discussions highlighted a number of challenges, including the structuring of MSMEs, inclusive digital transformation, corporate social responsibility, the role of ESOs, the importance of more balanced partnerships, more accessible mechanisms, and better coordination between public policies and dynamics on the ground.
The main challenges identified by the various workshops/panels concern the fragmentation of initiatives, weak coordination mechanisms, and the economic sustainability of ecosystem actors, particularly ESOs.
Added to this are structural constraints: limited access to financing, administrative burdens, territorial inequalities, and skills shortages. Nevertheless, the outlook is positive. The discussions revealed a strong collective desire to move from a piecemeal approach to more structured mechanisms.
WEBINAR #6 Peer exchange on Investment Readiness for Early-Stage Businesses
The peer exchange explored what makes early-stage businesses genuinely ready to access finance, drawing on the perspectives of a commercial bank, an investor, and participating ESOs.
WEBINAR #5 Innovative Financing Mechanisms for SMEs: The Role of Entrepreneurship Support Organisations (ESOs)
The webinar brought together practitioners engaged in implementing innovative financing mechanisms in Benin, Togo, and Senegal.
WEBINAR #4 Strengthening peer exchange between ESO networks in francophone Africa
This session brought together emerging ESO networks in Francophone Africa and more established networks to foster dialogue, mutual learning, and the sharing of concrete experiences.
Synthesis of the Month of Entrepreneurship in Benin 2025
Entrepreneurship Month in Benin (MEB) is a flagship annual event designed to give a major boost to the national private sector and promote local synergies. This report summarizes the main findings and recommendations from the five workshops/panels supported by the IYBA-SEED project as part of MEB 2025.
