From 1 to 30 November 2026, Benin is living to the rhythm of the 3rd edition of Entrepreneurship Month (MEB): 12 departments, more than 100 activities and one goal, to help Beninese entrepreneurship grow.
Partners from the very beginning, IYBA-SEED Benin and SNV Benin are once again standing alongside ADPME and are proud to contribute to this programme together with all the players in the ecosystem: business support organisations, incubators, universities, NGOs, local authorities, and technical and financial partners.
MEB 2026 at a glance
MEB is led by the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (ADPME), under the aegis of the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Employment Promotion, responsible for professional training. Its programme was built with dozens of business support organisations, incubators, universities, NGOs, local authorities and technical and financial partners, including the Benin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI Bénin).
Following the success of the 2024 and 2025 editions, the event is scaling up. It now covers the entire country and the whole month of November. The 2026 edition is built around three pillars:
- Promoting an entrepreneurial culture, particularly among young people, in universities, secondary schools and municipalities.
- Strengthening the ecosystem and supporting local entrepreneurs through coaching, mentoring, and access to finance and markets.
- Combining entrepreneurship with social impact, giving the social and solidarity economy (SSE) its rightful place.
Watch the MEB video
MEB 2026 highlights
- The official launch takes place on 6 November in Cotonou. It is dedicated to women’s entrepreneurship and access to finance.
- 30 Oct - 23 Nov: Masterclasses: 17 sessions to make entrepreneurship a choice for the future 7 cities
- 2 - 30 Nov: CCI Bénin National Caravan 12 departments
- 6 Nov: Official launch of MEB 2026 Cotonou, Salle Bleue, Palais des Congrès
- 10, 12, 18 - 20 and 24 Nov: ADPME–CCI Bénin Speed Coaching Natitingou, Parakou, Cotonou, Lokossa
- 11 - 14 Nov: Regional SSE Days Several departments
- 18 - 20 Nov: ADPME Business Days Cotonou, Golden Tulip Le Diplomate
- 23 - 25 Nov: West Africa Youth Resilience Forum (WAYRF) Cotonou, Novotel
- 24 Nov: SSE National Conference (Assises de l’ESS) Cotonou, Salle Majestic
- From 16 to 21 November: the Marina in Cotonou becomes the heart of the ecosystem. Alongside the ADPME Business Days, it also hosts the Cyber Africa Forum, Benin Digital & Innovation Week, the AfriLabs Annual Gathering and GreenTech City, with four events running simultaneously from 18 to 20 November.
Discover the full programme 2026
IYBA-SEED and SNV, committed partners since the first edition
IYBA-SEED Benin and SNV Benin have supported MEB since 2024, as a partner and co-organiser of events at both local and national level.
In 2025, the project notably led the Regional SSE Days at four universities: Parakou, Abomey-Calavi, UNSTIM in Abomey and UNA in Sakété.
IYBA-SEED and MEB share the same objectives: making entrepreneurship a driver of decent jobs for young people and women. For one month, this commitment extends the work our teams carry out in Benin all year round along four lines:
- Developing an entrepreneurial culture. With CCI Bénin, ADPME and their partners, we have for example supported the CACEPI Label, which recognises pro-innovation education centres. In July 2026, 12 Beninese centres received their certification.
- Strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- Fostering dialogue across territories. In 2026, public-private dialogue between municipalities and the private sector is expanding to 24 municipalities.
- Promoting responsible entrepreneurship. In August 2026, a training session on corporate social responsibility (CSR) brought together business support and finance stakeholders in Grand-Popo.
How to take part in MEB 2026?
Project leader, business owner or business support professional: MEB 2026 is open to everyone!
Discover the full programme and register online at meb.adpme.bj.
Contact: +229 01 41 29 27 22
