The "Startups and Innovative SMEs" project in Tunisia is continuing its regional outreach with a second edition of its roadshow in 2026. The initiative, funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) in partnership with Smart Capital, aims to enhance access to financing for innovative Tunisian startups and SMEs.
The first edition of the roadshow, held in 2025 in Bizerte, Kairouan, Sfax, and Gabès, demonstrated the richness and maturity of projects led by young people in the regions. This second edition extends the effort to make financing mechanisms for innovation accessible and build a sustainable dynamic with regional ecosystems. The roadshow will visit four new locations: Le Kef on September 28, 2026, Monastir on October 6, Gafsa on October 22, and Zarzis on October 23.
The project focuses on strengthening access to financing for innovative startups and SMEs and supporting the development of a more dynamic, inclusive, and better-connected entrepreneurial ecosystem across the country. The roadshow will present various instruments mobilized within the project, including the ANAVA Fund of Funds and the Child Funds it supports, aimed at enhancing capital financing for startups, as well as InnovaTech, a mechanism dedicated to financing and developing innovative SMEs.
Each stop on the roadshow will serve as a meeting point for entrepreneurs, investors, and regional actors in accompaniment and financing. The goal is to make known the available financing and accompaniment opportunities, listen to needs, constraints, and development ambitions, and create connections between stakeholders.
The initiative acknowledges that Tunisian innovation is not limited to major economic centers, as regions have competencies, universities, entrepreneurial talents, and specific economic sectors that can drive value creation and job employment. The roadshow seeks to federate local ecosystem actors, including technopoles, universities, and higher education institutions, accompaniment structures, and regional representations of banks and SICAR.
By engaging in this proximity approach, the CDC, Smart Capital, and their partners aim to contribute to the emergence of more innovative projects in the regions, facilitate their access to financing mechanisms, and strengthen bridges between talents, entrepreneurs, investors, universities, and local economic actors.
Detailed programs, registrations, meetings with entrepreneurs, and key moments of each stage will be regularly communicated on the project's and its partners' digital platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Key points
- The second edition of the roadshow is part of Tunisia's efforts to boost innovative entrepreneurship.
- The project is backed by the World Bank and implemented by the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) and Smart Capital.
- The roadshow will visit Le Kef, Monastir, Gafsa, and Zarzis in 2026.
