IMPACT REPORT

2019

BUSINESS INCUBATOR FOR NEWCOMERS

July 19

Business

Started: 26

As per now,

26 business

have started

through the

Forward

Incubator

programs,

resulting in a

58% business

starting rate!

People

getting a job

or

continuing

studies: 11

For those that

did not start a

business, 8

have a job and

3 are doing

studies,

meaning 76% of

participants

successfully

graduate!

15

businesses

have paying

customers

Of the started

businesses, 15

have started

making revenue

after the initial

start-up period

Jobs created by

Forward

businesses: 14

The impact of

our programs is

not limited to

the economic

empowerment

of participants,

also 10 other

newcomers

have been

employed!

Cities

active: 2

Our expansion

to Rotterdam

has been

successful. We

have quickly

built a strong

network and

had over 100

people

attending our

pitch finale!

People

involved in

Forward

Incubator:

500+

Our community is

growing

exponentially, as

the word of our

mission is

spreading quick.

We have more

than 500 people

active in the

empowerment of

newcomers!

ACHIEVEMENTS SNAPSHOT

“I had a very pleasant and productive experience with

RF. Most of the workshops were an eye opener. The RF

team has spared no effort in supporting our projects

whether on a technical, emotional or physical level. I

can strongly say that RF has been the back bone and

the main ignitor to all the entrepreneurs and their

projects. My deepest gratitude goes to the team for their

wonderful support.”

TESTIMONIALS

“My experience with RF is unique. Since I joined, I felt there is

genuine desire from the RF team, coaches and students to help. I

consider the team working with me a very sincere one, I don't feel

that I would do the same without them. The team and myself

have one goal which is to achieve a sustainable business that will

allow me to be self dependent for the coming future. The

workshops offer a variety of topics that are much needed for us to

understand the Dutch work culture, know the differences between

our cultures, get an overview about financial matters as well as

how to write a proper business plan.”

TESTIMONIALS

“In my modest opinion the program was

successful by being the perfect cross

point for refugees to be integrated. With

young people in charge they show a good

example to the entrepreneurs by being

flexible and a good ability to communicate

with us and offer exactly the right

workshops needed for entrepreneurs”

TESTIMONIALS

“I truly consider the incubation program of RF as a

comprehensive and complete program that takes an

entrepreneur to a whole new level of professionalism

in terms of personal development and adds a huge

deal of knowledge to the professional side.”

TESTIMONIALS

Incubator Program

• Mission & Vision

• Why our programs

are needed

• Formula for

success

• Team structure

• RF Community

• Selection

• Program structure

• Key learnings 2019

1.

Economic Impact

• 2019 Overview

• Business Achievements

• Government Yearly

Savings

• Economic Improvement

Of Participants

• Generated Revenue

• People Employed

• Incubated Companies

2.

• 2019 Overview

• Quality Feedback

• Community

Social & Community

3.

Organisation

4.

• Team

• Advisory Board

• Partners

CONTENT

INCUBATOR

PROGRAM

1.

The community of Forward Incubator believes

in the incredible talent and potential of

newcomers.

We strive to maximize their chances of

professional success by offering incubator

programs with high quality training and

individualized coaching to support

entrepreneurs to launch, fund and grow their

businesses.

By 2020, we want to support 200 refugee

entrepreneurs in Western Europe in starting

their business.

MISSION & VISION

More than 150.000 refugees

between 2008-2016 granted

‘residence status’

3/4 newcomers from Syria

between 2013 - 2015

currently still on social support

Whereas 1/3newcomers received

higher education

And there is a 30%increase in companies

started by newcomers!

Challenges with

new legal and

bureaucratic system

Limited understanding of

Dutch business culture,

language and market

No network in the

relevant fields of

business idea

Lack of starting

capital to test

product in the market

CHALLENGES

WHY OUR PROGRAMS ARE NEEDED

OUR FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

Expert

Support

Network

Professional

Individual

Coaching

10h Student

Support

Every Week

Accredited

Training

Facilitating

Relationship With

Municipalities

Entrepreneurs

30RF Team

4 FTEs

Business

Coaches30Student

Consultants60

This is the outlook of all 500+ people who

are part of the RF community. At varying

levels of involvement, everyone brings

value to the table.

RF COMMUNITY

DUTCH

GOVERNM ENT

TAX

AUTHORITIES

KvK GEMEENTEN

BUSINESS

UNIVERSITIES

OTHER

NGO’SRF

NETWORK

RF

TEAM

CORPORATE

PARTNERSRF

STUDENTS

COACHES &

SPECIALISTS

TEAM

FACILITATOR

BUSINESS

COACH

STUDENT

CONSULTANTS

ENTRE-

PRENEUR

We take in business ideas

from all different industries.

We do however look at the

feasibility, viability,

desirability and scalability

of the idea. If the idea fits

those criteria we inquire

what research has already

been done, which also

shows Motivation.

Business Idea

In our first interview we ask

people what the main

driver is for their business

plans. The intensity of our

programs requires that

people are intrinsically

motivated to set up a

business, so they can

overcome setbacks with us

and their teams.

Motivation

Because people come from

various experiences, we

always try to see how the

entrepreneur fits the idea.

We therefore ask people

about past education or

work experience that will

make them execute their

business idea better than

the next person.

Relevant Experience

Because the road of entrepreneurship is challenging, we want to make sure we select people who are the right fit. This way, their

experience matches their expectation and our resources are channeled towards the right need. Our selection criteria are as follows.

ENTREPRENEUR SELECTION

Selection Process

Based on entrepreneurial

drive, experience and

business idea.

170 applicants ➔ 40 pre-

selected ➔ 25 selected

Aftercare Program

Where 8 out of 15 entrepreneurs

are selected based on progress

and potential, resulting in 6

months structural coaching for

last steps of starting business

Last month of business plan writing,

pitching for investors and company

registration, resulting in an investor

proposition and a registered

business

Business Plan2nd and 3rd month of business

model validation in the real

market, resulting in a financial

plan and a built network of

relevant stakeholders (Individual

coaching intensifies and corporate

network is strongly involved)

Validating

Business Concept

Intensive

Workshops

1st month of intensive

workshops revolves around

business methodology and

cross-cultural training,

resulting in a structured

business idea and defined

goals (professional coach,

student consultant and

team facilitator join the

team!)

1 month 1 month2 months1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

Content: Content is translated by team facilitators more actively

into practice, ensuring multiple reminders of theory

Approach: Try to get entrepreneurs to achieve a first success through

pop-up or other simple version of product, to boost confidence

Process: More concrete deliverables that are actually

enforced

Program Structure: Implement a two week selection period

where we test motivation and teach soft skills

KEY LEARNINGS 2019

Selection: Testing of work delivered in the two weeks prior to

the actual program

ECONOMIC

IMPACT

2.

Refugees Forward aims first and foremost to nurture the talents, ambition and skills of newcomers to become

economically independent. As entrepreneurship is not the only way to economic empowerment, our economic

impact is reflected in the opportunities participants seized through the program, related to either their own

business or empowerment through paid employment and further education as a result of our programs.

These are the results we achieved per the first half of 2019:

Launched a

business

26/45Continued with

an academic

career

3/45Got a job through

the program

8/45Jobs were

created

by participants

14Successful

outflow overall

76%

2018 OVERVIEW

€300K+ Investment

received

26 Businesses

Launched

69%Started

generating

revenue

14 New jobs

created

€150K+Revenue

created

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENTS

Current government savings is based on the

amount of people in scope that through our

programs came out of social support, multiplied by

the social support amount of €1400,- on a yearly

based projection.

Total amount:

€302.500

GOVERNMENT YEARLY SAVINGS

Not only do our businesses launch with investment

or approval by the municipality, but entrepreneurs

are actually generating revenue.

Total Number of businesses with paying customers:

15

REVENUE GENERATED

Business 100K+

in

annual revenue

One

Entrepreneurship is a driver for growth and benefits

society as a whole. Because entrepreneurs come

from a refugee background they are also inclined to

support other newcomers thus employing

newcomers as well as local people in their newly set

up companies

Total amount :

14 people

PEOPLE EMPLOYED

of which were

newcomers on

social support

8

EXAMPLES OF INCUBATED COMPANIES

✓ Elanza (2018)✓ Nzurimarket✓ Greenwheel

✓ Stonature(2018)

✓ Frilan (2018)✓ Gateway2EU

✓ Askpro (2018)✓ XO Keuken

✓ Mpowerment(2018)

✓ Talent Status

Startups International tradeLivelihood businesses

Social enterprises

IN-KIND DONATIONS

Our program is centered in

preparing newcomers to establish

their businesses independently in

the Netherlands. That would not

be possible without the support of

our partners, who in 2018

donated the equivalent of

€131.562 worth of their

services, including working

location, training, consulting

sessions, workshops and

operational support.

Team Academy [Location & Coaching]

Cambridge Innovation Centre [Location]

ACE [Location & Training]

Deloitte [Consulting]

McKinsey [Consulting]

Mazars [Workshops & Tax consulting]

DLA Piper [Legal advice & Workshops]

Linklaters [Legal Advice]

Coaches [Coaching]

Uber [Coaching]

Students [Operational Support]

€21.392

€2.229 +

€20.000 +

TBD

€4.880 +

€28.999

TBD

€28.000

€192.000

€24.000

€32.000

Achievements

2018

€21.392

€6.229

€20.000

€13.500

€2.440

€14.000

-

-

€48.000

€6.000

-

€131.562 €352.501

Prediction

2019

SOCIAL &

COMMUNITY IMPACT

3.

OUR SOCIAL IMPACT SO FAR

Entrepreneurs

supported

45Months of social

support saved

258

Newcomers out

of social support

18 Participants have

successful

outflow*

37

*Successful outflow defined as fulltime employed, fulltime entrepreneur or fulltime education

ENTREPRENEURS STUDENTS COACHES

On average, they rated the program:

8.7/10

On average, they rated the program:

8.9/10

80%felt they were better able

to work in a multicultural

team after the program

92%have a better

feeling of a

positive future

3/4felt like they have become

a more active member of

the community

100%improved their capabilities of

working in an intercultural and

international environment

90%changed their perspective on

newcomers from “they need

help” to “they have the potential

to help others”

92% Enjoy making

a meaningful

contribution

100% Find the

organisation

professional and

well-organized

On average, they rated the program

9/10

FEEDBACK ON PROGRAM

45 participants

from 15+ locations in the

Netherlands

Active student

consultants140

Corporate experts from

DLA Piper, Uber,

McKinsey, Mazars and

Deloitte

80+

Business

coaches60

COMMUNITY

30+ nationalities

Entrepreneurs

Student consultants

Coaches

RF team

500+

Showing a true belief in the potential of

newcomers and the willingness to put in

personal effort in order to achieve our shared

mission.

Active members in our

growing community

COMMUNITY

ORGANISATION

4.

TEAM

Diederick

Managing

Director

Laura

Program Director

Zara

Program

Manager RTD

Antonio Maria

Program

Manager AMSBusiness

developer

ADVISORY BOARD

THANK YOU

Get in touch:

info@refugeesforward.org

Let’s collaborate!

www.refugeesforward.org

/refugeesforwardamsterdam

/refugeesforward