Deloitte has opened up nominations for its signature programme Deloitte Accelerator for Social Innovation (DASI) in the Middle East and Cyprus, providing social enterprises in the region with the opportunity to grow and scale their impact.
DASI is a Deloitte Middle East’s Corporate Responsibility programme created with the aim of addressing the region’s challenges by supporting small and medium social enterprises who operate with a social and/or environmental purpose. DASI is a regional competition spanning 13 countries in the Middle East and Cyprus with specific selection criteria including scalability, economic viability, sound business strategies and plans as well as inclusion and diversity in ownership and management teams. The programme runs in collaboration with Ashoka Arab World, which provides networking and mentorship opportunities for winning social enterprises.
''We are proud to be launching the second edition of DASI, a programme that was initiated to accelerate the power of social enterprises in the region through innovation, and to balance the desire for greater social equity with the need for rapid economic growth,'' said Mutasem Dajani, CEO, Deloitte Middle East. ''Deloitte will be offering winning social enterprises US$100,000 in a prize pack which includes advisory services, networking, mentoring and skills-development, enabling them to scale their impact with a significant advantage in the marketplace''.
''The DASI programme builds on a booming ecosystem where the impact of social enterprises has been noticeable lately thanks to their agility to respond to needs by turning challenges into opportunities. Social enterprises are generally inclusive and have smaller gender gap in ownership compared to their commercial counterparts. They are the seeds for a more inclusive economy,'' said Rana Ghandour Salhab, People & Purpose Partner, Deloitte Middle East. ''We are excited to receive new participants in the programme and to experience the creative and innovative ideas that our region is always known to offer.''
''At Ashoka Arab World (AAW), we are pleased to be working with Deloitte Middle East on their DASI Programme. As the largest platform in the world for social entrepreneurs, Ashoka welcomes the opportunity to reach out to and support the DASI winners in their journey for making change in their communities and beyond. Building on the success of the first edition of DASI Program, AAW will be providing mentorship to the DASI winners and connecting them with established social entrepreneurs. We are looking forward to meeting with new social entrepreneurs joining the DASI program and knowing more about their innovative and impactful work,'' said Dr. Iman Bibars, Regional Director of Ashoka Arab World, and Vice President of Ashoka.
To apply, visit www.deloitte.com/dasi. Applications close on June 30, 2022.
