The CRM is part of the wider Andandorr Programme support on strengthening ecosystem with the goal to create an ecosystem-wide tracking mechanism of entrepreneurs, their needs, support received to date, and progress made based on different interventions from business organisations.
Mambury Njie, Minister of Finance in his launch statement said the programme aims at providing effective and tailored support for a small number of highly promising young entrepreneurs, while simultaneously strengthening our entrepreneurship ecosystem.
He expressed hopes that the CRM would not only improve and contribute to effective implementation but also reduce overlaps in programme interventions.
Fatou Mbenga Jallow, representative of the International Trade Center said the Andandorr Programme is an innovative entrepreneurship support programme launched in December 2019 and jointly implemented by different BSOs in The Gambia including the Chambers, women-business support service providers, accelerators, incubators, and Information Technology Association of the Gambia (ITAG.)
She further stated that the core spirit of “Andandorr” is partnerships and collaboration. The approach she said, is based on a maturity model which distinguishes three different levels of company growth and needs and rallies the different ecosystem players in the country to offer coordinated and demand-led support that takes entrepreneurs from the ideation stage to internationalization while simultaneously strengthening Gambia’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Babacarr Camara, Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) chairman of the entrepreneurship core team said he is convinced that the arrangement will bring forward many benefits for the ecosystem.
These benefits he said include better service delivery by Business Support Organisations (BSOs) by offering relevant and entrepreneur-driven services to participants, better collaboration between BSOs to harness the potential of resource and information sharing, amongst others.
Ridwane Abdul Rahman, International Community College (ICC)representative described the initiative as an important step towards the sustainability of the work which has been supported and implemented together for the development of the community.
“The Andandorr model helps build together institutions and a strong network: This is the best way of ensuring that the support to the business community does not end with the projects. It helps us embed and sustain the gains we have made together,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer, Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) described the launch of the ecosystem CRM as phenomenal in the history of entrepreneurship in The Gambia.
