1 Million Non-Financial and Advisory Services Delivered by Business Development Service Hubs Under the Auspices of the Central Bank of Egypt
First Bank
The BDS Hubs, operating under the Central Bank of Egypt’s (CBE) "NilePreneurs" initiative, have successfully offered over 1.16 million non-financial and advisory services.
These services benefited approximately 502,000 youth, entrepreneurs, startups, and Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) – out of which 210,000 are women – in addition to facilitating access to finance worth a total of EGP 19 billion for more than 14,000 projects, with the participation of 18 banks.
This is delivered through a package of advisory services aimed at supporting entrepreneurs to secure suitable funding and enhance their businesses’ capacity for growth and competitiveness.
Between the years 2020 and 2025, BDS Hubs witnessed substantial growth in services delivered and beneficiaries served, achieving an average annual growth rate of 135% in the number of offered services and 125% in served clients.
This progress is accomplished by the BDS Hubs’ wide geographic reach, which comprises 132 Hubs across 25 governorates.
This milestone reflects the CBE’s ongoing commitment to supporting entrepreneurs as well as MSMEs. The initiative encourages the banking sector to expand the offering of non-financial and advisory services, while promoting the inclusion of informal sector projects into the formal economy.
These efforts align with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in light of Egypt’s Vision 2030, focusing on economic empowerment for all segments of society.
The BDS Hubs offer a full range of free-of-charge non-financial and advisory services, starting with the selection of viable project ideas, assistance with company establishment, facilitation of registration processes, obtaining necessary licenses, and conducting economic feasibility studies, financial analysis and evaluations.
Additionally, they provide the required information for accessing finance and preparing credit files, as well as matchmaking entrepreneurs with suppliers, unlocking new market opportunities, and delivering capacity-building trainings to enhance efficiency.
Youth, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs can access these free services by visiting BDS Hubs established within banks’ branches, youth centers, and universities across most governorates.
