The Esplanade of the Amazon Square, Cotonou served as the setting on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 for the ceremony to announce the winners of the RISE initiative. 86 SMEs were selected after a process that saw the participation of 402 applications in total.

86 Beninese SMEs are selected and will benefit from technical and financial support over the next six months. These companies, grouped into two categories according to their level of maturity (55 SMEs with potential and 31 mature SMEs), illustrate RISE's ambitions in terms of adapted support

In reality, RISE is a program designed to support small and medium-sized businesses in Benin in their development. It is a program designed to build resilience and support the growth of high-potential businesses. This program brings together Economy l'Agence de Développement des PME (ADPME) et Sèmè City, sous la coordination du Ministère de l' style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style”, serif"> and Finance and the Ministry in charge of SMEs. According to Nicolas Simel Ndiaye, Technical Advisor to the Minister of State and coordinator of the strategic support unit, at the heart of the project, “RISE is a concrete response to the needs of local SMEs, by allowing them to benefit from tailor-made support and financial support to strengthen their resilience and seize growth opportunities. This initiative reflects the collective commitment of public institutions and international partners to support the Beninese private sector.” Le projet bénéficie du soutien de plusieurs partenaires internationaux, notamment la World Bank , the French Development Agency and the European Union.