We’re proud to share a new result from the Entrepreneurial Mindset Immersion Program (EMIP), the 12-week experiential programme run by the Mascara University Business Incubator in Algeria.
This year, 11 young innovators who went through EMIP received ideation funding from Protomarket, €12,000 per project. That’s €132,000 in total for new ventures led by young people.
Why this matters
EMIP was designed to close the gap between academic education and real-world entrepreneurship. These 11 Protomarket-funded projects show the approach works. Participants didn’t just learn how to write a business plan. They learned to think, act and learn like entrepreneurs, and then turned that into ideas strong enough to get funded.
What took them there
- Mindset Reset workshops to build resilience, initiative and confidence
- Fieldwork and customer interviews to check that their ideas solve real problems
- Six weeks of Startup Shadowing with local entrepreneurs
- AI-powered learning labs, where they built AI agents to automate early tasks, cut costs and run quick experiments
- Crisis simulations to practise making decisions under uncertainty
- Weekly mentoring, inspired by the Techstars coaching model
- Reflective journals to support learning to learn
Impact beyond funding
Besides the funding, participants report more confidence, better problem-solving and teamwork, and a stronger intention to start a business. That makes the transition from university to working life or to launching a venture smoother.
A model others can replicate
EMIP is low-cost and scalable, and the university funds it fully, so access is fair for students. We think this model can inspire other universities and VET providers in Algeria and across the Mediterranean region.
👉 Read the full practice on ETF OpenSpace: https://openspace.etf.europa.eu/innovative-teaching-practices/entrepreneurial-mindset-immersion-program-emip
What’s next
We’ll keep supporting the 11 funded founders as they move from idea to prototype, and we’re preparing the next EMIP cohort.
We thank Protomarket for believing in these young innovators and for its support of entrepreneurship in Algeria.
We’d be happy to connect with ETF OpenSpace members who work on entrepreneurship education, New Learning approaches or AI in learning. We’re glad to share our methods and to explore partnerships.
Innovator: Mokhtar Bouazza, Mascara University Business Incubator
#EMIP #Protomarket #EntrepreneurialMindset #NewLearning #YouthEntrepreneurship #AIinEducation #Algeria #ETFOpenSpace 
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