Cyclo-incubator, ecological and sporting jobs around the bicycle

Context

According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the unemployment rate in Tunisia was estimated at 15.1% for the third quarter of 2019 with 34.7% of young people aged 15-24 in unemployment. In 2020, the COVID-19 negatively impacted the situation on the labour market, in the fourth quarter of the year nearly 725,000 people were unemployed or 17.4% of the active population. Young people are the most affected, with an unemployment rate of 40.8%. If left unchecked, youth unemployment is a threat to the country’s growth, development and stability.

Thus, the initiative “Cyclo-incubator” carried by Vélorution Tunisia helps to fight against unemployment by supporting and financing entrepreneurship projects in the field of cycling.

Objectives

• Regular cycling is good for your health, it reduces health-related costs (Sdg3).
• This project contributes to the country’s economy by providing jobs (Sdg8)
• Reduce social and economic inequalities between different regions of the country (Sdg10).
• This cyclo incubator will help the adoption of this mode of transport and raise awareness in the community to act in a sustainable way. (Sdg12).
• This project will contribute to the improvement of road and transport networks (Sdg11).

Activities

• Training and personalised coaching: The young people selected are trained, have skills that are valued on the job market, and their social enterprise project for bicycle touring is developed
• Establishment of an innovative, committed teaching team with a passion for cycling
• Selection of young people with professional difficulties from marginalised areas
• Training of young people, through support for the development of their social enterprise project of bicycle touring
• Project design and management (design, funding/partnership search and management, budget management, income generation strategy/AGR, monitoring evaluation capitalisation)
• Creation and management of a social enterprise (legal status, legislation, governance, finance and financing plan, SSE principles)
• Sustainable alternative tourism and cycle tourism (activities, principles and specificities, law and risks of activities). Total duration: 108 hours. Main venue : Dar el Bisklette (our existing Centre for the Development of Bicycle Culture in Tunis)
• Support and material subsidies: Social enterprise projects are selected and made operational (human resources trained, networks acquired, tours and cyclo-tourism activities ready, first funds and equipment acquired)
• Selection of 5 social enterprise projects
• Training of young people to accompany cyclotourists (group management in natural and urban environments, environmental protection, first aid)
• Training of young people to become tour guides (group management in natural and urban environments, knowledge of the tangible and intangible heritage of their territory, preservation of the environment, first aid)
• Logistical and technical support for the setting up of cycle tours
• Accompanying the development of the network of young people selected with other projects of the alternative tourism ecosystem (civil society, public, private) (local, regional, national, international)
• Offer of a seed grant to selected projects (purchase of bicycles)
• Organisation of meetings between project leaders to exchange on their difficulties encountered but also their “best practices” and capitalise on them

Impact

• Young men and women with professional difficulties and from marginalised areas, with priority given to young women
• Beneficiaries aged between 18 and 30, unemployed or without a permanent job for at least 1 year
• Localities from the following governorates will be considered as “marginalised territory”: Jendouba, Beja, Kasserine, Sidi Bouzid, Tataouine, Kairouan, Siliana, Le Kef, Gafsa, Médenine. Then: Zaghouan, Mahdia, Kébili, Gabès and some marginalised cities of Greater Tunis such as Cité Ettadhamen and Douar Hicher

Photo credit: Vélorution Tunisie