The Réseau International Business Conseil Invest (RIBCI) has announced the first edition of the 3FE Fair, a unique economic event that will take place from November 5 to 15. The fair aims to support Senegalese entrepreneurs in their transition from the informal to the structured and bankable business sector. The event is themed "From Informal to Industrial: Financing Local Transformation" and targets often-overlooked economic players, including women transformers, young people, GIEs, cooperatives, and small production units.
The 3FE Fair's originality lies in bringing together four complementary dimensions in one place: training, formalization, financing, and exposure. The daily program is structured around four poles. The Training pole (9:00 am - 1:00 pm) will offer 100% practical workshops on promising sectors, such as local cereal transformation, fruit and vegetable processing, and financial education. The Formalization pole (2:00 pm - 4:00 pm) will provide a one-stop shop for accompaniment with APIX, ORBUS, and RIBCI experts to help participants obtain their NINEA and business registration.
The Financing pole (4:00 pm - 6:00 pm) will be the heart of the event, where project leaders will be coached to pitch before top financial institutions, such as DER/FJ, BNDE, CMS, PAMECAS, and Coris Bank. The Exposure and B2B pole (9:00 am - 9:00 pm) will feature 100 stands dedicated to "Made in Senegal" products, ranging from agri-food to cosmetics and handicrafts. Private business meetings will be organized with professional buyers, including supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, distributors, and diaspora members.
The 3FE Fair aims to achieve ambitious objectives, including training and certifying 500 entrepreneurs, supporting 300 companies towards formalization, preparing 100 projects for financing, and commercializing at least 10 tons of local products. According to RIBCI, the ambition is to create a sustainable ecosystem beyond the fair to promote "Made in Senegal" and create commercial corridors with Africa and the international market.
The event's initiator, Ibrahima Badji, President of RIBCI, emphasizes that the fair's goal is to transform local entrepreneurship. The package for exhibitors is set at 150,000 FCFA, including a 9m² equipped stand, access to the entire 3FE program, and visibility in the official catalog. The organizers specify that spots are limited to 100 exhibitors, on a first-come, first-served basis.
The 3FE Fair's targets include women transformers, young people, GIEs, cooperatives, and small production units that have the know-how but face challenges in terms of training, legal status, financing, and market access. By addressing these challenges, the fair aims to contribute to the growth and development of Senegal's economy.
With 500 entrepreneurs expected to attend, the 3FE Fair is poised to make a significant impact on Senegal's entrepreneurship landscape. By providing a platform for entrepreneurs to access training, formalization, financing, and exposure, the fair aims to create a lasting legacy beyond the event itself.
Key points
- The 3FE Fair aims to support 500 entrepreneurs and commercialize at least 10 tons of local products.
- The event will feature 100 stands dedicated to "Made in Senegal" products.
- The fair's package for exhibitors is set at 150,000 FCFA.
