Start your own business!
The cewas Start-Up Programme
The cewas Start-Up programme aims at supporting young graduates and professionals from the North and the South in setting up their own water and sanitation businesses. It is a unique institution combining training and advanced education (in the cewas Training Centre) with coaching by international high-level experts (the cewas Think-Tank) in a one-year intensive program. Trainings cover not only technical aspects of SSWM but also business development, practical experience ("best practice projects"), international management issues and guide the Start-Ups through the whole process of business planning. By bringing together international teams (North-South partnerships), the SMEs can offer solutions based on international know-how and are able to act and react sustainably towards global challenges and business opportunities in the sector. After the Start-Up Programme, SMEs get continuous in-house support through the Business Platform and backstopping by the cewas Think-Tank and network in order to consolidate their position in the market. (See also the Start-Up Centre section)
The next Start-Up programme will start in April 2012. Apply and get more information now!
Who can become a cewas Start-Up?
Young graduates/professionals from CH, EU and developing countries who want to create their own business in the field of sustainable sanitation and water management SSWM
Individuals or a team of members of an organisation who want to advance their skills in the field of SSWM in order to improve their skills related to SSWM or to position themselves in the growing market of sustainable water management and sanitation
Prerequisites for Applicants:
- Master Degree in Environmental Studies/Engineering, Sustainable Development, Economy or other appropriate formations
- Strong motivation to contribute to a sustainable development of the sanitation and water sector on the national and international level
- "Entrepreneurial spirit"
- Excellent knowledge in English
- Optional: business idea (technology, services, etc.)
Hot Topics
"Involving the private sector to curb water corruption": cewas, together with GIZ and the Water Integrity Network (WIN), organised a side event in order to promote water integrity and curb corruption at the 6th World Water Forum, 16th of March 2012. Read more...
The "Willisauer Bote" published an article about the start of the 2nd Start-Up Programme. It highlights the new possibility of gaining credit points (ECTS) which can be credited for the tertiary education. Download the article here.
The first cewas Forum on Business Development for Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management has been a great success. Download the conference presentations here.
The new cewas agenda for 2012 is out now. Download it here and reserve the dates.
The new cewas flyer is out now. Download it here and share it with your network.
BPD Blog: Why sanitation should be envious of funeral parlours – the challenge of the ‘missing middle’. Read more...
What will the international Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector look like in 10 years from now? The IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre has launched a new report scanning the 2020 horizon: An analysis of trends and scenarios in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector.
WSSCC’s new advocacy campaign “GDP for GDP” is focusing on the economic benefits of investing in sanitation.
Find out more on www.wsscc.org.
cewas signs Memorandum of Understanding with ICLEI Africa (Local Governments for Sustainability).
Read the international press release.
Francois Münger, Head of the Water Initiatives Division at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) talks about cewas in a article on "the potential of clean technologies for the water sector".
Have a look at the article of Elina Hiltunen, a forsight expert on "No business like the water business"
