WATANI - Strengthening Tunisia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

Tunisia is facing significant challenges in terms of employment, economic inclusion, and territorial development. Young people and women often face difficulties in accessing sustainable economic opportunities, especially in regions where entrepreneurial dynamics are still fragile. In this context, entrepreneurship is a critical lever for promoting the creation of activities, strengthening local economies, and offering professional prospects to new generations.

The WATANI project is part of this process, through its contribution to strengthening Tunisia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. WATANI is implemented by Expertise France and funded by Agence Française de Développement in partnership with Tunisia’s Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, a state-owned group providing long-term investment to serve the country’s public interest and economic development. Its purpose is to foster the emergence of entrepreneurial projects and strengthen support entities that play a key role in supporting project leaders. The project relies on support from Expertise France’s long-standing partners, namely the Tunisia Foundation for Development and The Dot, Tunisia’s first innovation hub.

The goal of the WATANI project is to contribute to inclusive economic development in Tunisia through:

• easy access to entrepreneurial support;
• capacity-building for support organisations; 
• mobilisation of resources and skills from the Tunisian diaspora.

In particular, the project uses its various actions to support young talents in the region, to promote the economic integration of Tunisian returnees (both male and female), and to strengthen connections between local areas and international economic networks. Through these dynamics, WATANI contributes to the creation of income-generating activities, the development of sustainable entrepreneurial initiatives, and the strengthening of the local economic ecosystem.

1. Strengthening entrepreneurial support organisations

Expertise France backs up support organisations and actors of the Tunisian entrepreneurial ecosystem in order to improve the quality and accessibility of support systems for project leaders. This includes capacity-building in incubators, regional hubs and ELIFE training centres, as well as structuring for entrepreneurial support systems in the regions.

2. Entrepreneurial support for young talents and Tunisian returnees

The project supports entrepreneurial pathways through training, mentoring, and support for business creation. Special attention is paid to young talents in the regions as well as returning Tunisian expatriates wishing to develop an economic activity and make use of the skills they acquired during their career.

3. Mobilisation of the Tunisian diaspora

WATANI also seeks to strengthen the links between Tunisian regional areas and diaspora networks. By promoting mentoring, investment, and skills transfer, the project helps connect local entrepreneurs to economic opportunities and international networks.