Deloitte launched the Deloitte Accelerator for Social Innovation (DASI) program in the Middle East, which provides social enterprises in the region with an opportunity to grow and scale their impact.

DASI aims to help address the region’s challenges by empowering and supporting small and medium social enterprises – companies or NGO’s that operate with a social or environmental purpose, while having a viable business model and sustainable revenue stream.

DASI’s components include a regional competition across 14 countries in the Middle East to identify two winning innovative social enterprises that will receive customized Deloitte support packs of advisory services, mentorship, networking opportunities, and skills-development valued at over US$ 100,000.

Criteria include scalability, economic viability, sound business strategies and plans as well as inclusion and diversity in ownership and management teams. The program supports gender parity by encouraging social enterprises fully or partially owned by women to apply.

Commenting on the launch, Omar Fahoum, Deloitte Middle East Chief Executive said, “DASI aims to help address some of the Middle East region’s most pressing social and environmental challenges by helping accelerate the power of social enterprises. DASI is an exemplification of Deloitte’s corporate responsibility, where we aim to positively impact the greatest number of people in the Middle East communities through our core expertise and our global Deloitte WorldClass initiative that aims to empower 50 million futures by 2030”.

“It is evident to us that support for social enterprises in the Middle East is still embryonic, limited to incubation initiatives that are short-term in nature, and targeting social enterprises that are still at the idea stage,” said Rana Ghandour Salhab, Deloitte Middle East Talent and Communications partner. “Our current community programs have for years been effective in reaching thousands of youth and women under employability and leadership skills building. We are now pleased to add DASI, a tailored program for innovative social enterprises that are at the early growth level and in need of longer-term acceleration and support programs that will allow them to scale their impact.”

Two DASI winners will be selected to receive customized pro bono advisory services from Deloitte. They will also be matched with a mentor to provide support during the acceleration period, gain access to networking opportunities, and receive exposure opportunities. DASI collaborating organizations are “Ashoka Arab World” and “Communication Design”.

Ashoka is the largest network of social entrepreneurs in the world and has provided stipends, professional support services, and connections to a global network for more than 3,000 leading social entrepreneurs – elected as Ashoka Fellows – in over 90 countries. Ashoka Arab World has pioneered and been the platform for social entrepreneurship across the Middle East and North Africa, identifying and electing more than 100 of the region’s leading social entrepreneurs across 12 countries, uniting them into a dynamic community and working with them to build a vibrant ecosystem.

Communication Design is a multi-disciplinary design firm that offers an array of services in the Middle East ranging from complete corporate communication, to brand identity systems, retail, print and digital design.

For more information, kindly refer to www.deloitte.com/dasi