Israel Innovation Authority to Invest NIS 18 Million in Boosting Arab Community Entrepreneurs

The Israel Innovation Authority announced that it will offer grants of up to 70% of funding for innovative programs and models aimed at training entrepreneurs in research and medical institutions with at least 50% representation from the Arab community.

Additionally, the Israel Innovation Authority is inviting organizations to submit grant applications for human capital development programs focused on promoting women in the high-tech industry.

"The Israeli innovative ecosystem thrives on the creative power of Israeli entrepreneurs. The decline in the number of startups established in recent years obligates us to expand exposure to technological entrepreneurship opportunities for a wider range of populations,” said Dror Ben, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority.

"It is already evident that the integration of the Arab community into the Israeli job market is a significant interest not only for the Arab community but for the entire Israeli economy, with a decisive impact on productivity, production, and growth,” added Meir Bing, Director General of the Ministry of Social Equality.

“Within this context, we must emphasize the fields of innovation, entrepreneurship, and high-tech, which serve as growth engines for the economy and have significant underrepresentation of the Arab community. When we look at the data and see that currently, only 2% of active entrepreneurs come from the Arab community, we understand the gaps that the Arab community faces, and we must act to narrow them.”

The goals of the entrepreneur training programs include developing potential human capital from various disciplines for the establishment of startups, encouraging candidates (at least 50% from the Arab community) to choose entrepreneurship as a viable career path, expanding the leadership in the ideation and startup phases, and investing in technological ideas/projects with entrepreneurial potential.