JEDDAH: The second phase of the Saudi Ministry of Culture’s Fashion Incubation program will kick off on Sunday in an effort to promote the fashion sector and cultural entrepreneurship in the Kingdom.
For five days, entrepreneurs and talent in the fashion industry will take part in the virtual bootcamp to focus on the basic concepts of the fashion industry, including product design, marketing, brand management and retail.
The program will also cover leadership skills, team building, innovation and flexibility in entrepreneurship, as well as the principles of intellectual property and the sustainability concept in the fashion industry.
According to the website, applicants must be early entrepreneurs, practitioners, or freelancers with less than two years of experience, and should have a clear presentation of a product, service or brand they want to develop.
Applicants are encouraged to submit a business model with a clear and promising target market size and potential revenue.
Those taking part will be given intensive educational courses, where they will learn to develop ideas into business models, learn the entrepreneurial skills necessary to build an influential and sustainable business in the industry, and discover client-centered business models.
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Applicants must be early entrepreneurs, practitioners, or freelancers with less than two years of experience, and should have a clear presentation of a product, service or brand they want to develop.
The program will also teach entrepreneurs how to assess the market, identify internal efficiencies, plan strategic partnerships, and benefit from prototypes, among other business skills.
Successful investors and experts in the fashion industry will also take part in teaching.
By completing the second phase, participants can apply for the third phase, “Babysitter,” a long-term program that will begin in April and run for five months. It will provide participants with the guidance and support necessary to “help support and establish a solid foundation to help strengthen their products.”
The ministry aims through its Fashion Incubation program to empower Saudi talents in the fashion industry and allow their products to flourish on the local and international levels.
The first phase, which was held in December last year, was a three-day virtual “fashion hackathon that included 33 teams. The program will conclude later in the year.
The ministry’s initiative was organized in cooperation with public authorities, including Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises (Monshaat) and the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP).
