Egypt has launched a national “Startup Charter” aimed at strengthening the country’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and accelerating innovation-driven economic growth following a year of consultations involving government entities, startup founders, investors, and parliamentary representatives.
The charter outlines a five-year strategic roadmap designed to support up to 5,000 startups, stimulate competitiveness, and generate approximately 500,000 direct and indirect job opportunities. The initiative focuses on aligning entrepreneurship policies, expanding access to international markets, developing local talent, and encouraging venture capital investment through unified financing mechanisms.
A key objective of the charter is to strengthen the role of startups in addressing national challenges by connecting public sector needs with innovative solutions developed by entrepreneurs. The framework also seeks to reduce talent migration by improving local opportunities and enabling startups to scale more effectively within Egypt’s growing digital economy.
As part of the initiative, the Ministerial Group for Entrepreneurship has introduced a comprehensive guidance manual detailing government services, licensing procedures, permits, fees, and compliance requirements for startups. The measure aims to improve regulatory clarity, reduce entry barriers, and help startups navigate legal processes more efficiently while benefiting from available incentives.
The charter also introduces measures to improve the overall business environment, including facilitating tax procedures, easing liquidation and exit processes, expanding financing tools such as crowdfunding, and identifying regulatory challenges affecting priority sectors. The initiative was developed in cooperation with Intilaaq and UN Women as part of broader efforts to enhance transparency and strengthen institutional support for entrepreneurship.
