This event brought together 18 entrepreneurs who competed for technical assistance or seed capital, which will enable them to carry out projects such as launching new products, purchasing machinery or expanding operations.

The enterprises belong to the food, beverage, natural cosmetics, and agribusiness sectors. The owners participated in a training process, after which 10 of them were selected as finalists. This select group presented their business proposals to an external jury.

The best three initiatives were declared winners and will receive personalized assistance from PROINNOVA technicians to implement the project selected by the entrepreneurs. In addition, the first place winner will receive a seed capital incentive thanks to the DINAMICA Initiative, a tripartite effort of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), the Government of Germany, through KfW, and the European Union, which seeks to contribute to economic development and job creation in Central America by strengthening the business ecosystem for new, young and innovative MSMEs, as well as promoting adequate access to financial services.

The technical assistance support is equivalent to US$15,000, while the seed capital award is US$3,000.

After evaluating the proposals and pitches of the entrepreneurs, the following winners were selected:

• THIRD PLACE: Vino Abuelos. A wine delicately formulated from the Jabuticaba fruit, a type of Brazilian grape that grows in our country, with high antioxidant properties and a pleasant taste.
• SECOND PLACE: El Casco Café. The rebirth of a high altitude coffee that is grown and marketed in a farm open to the public in San José de la Majada, where it can also be enjoyed with a delicious homemade dessert or breakfast on weekends.
• FIRST PLACE: Ponche Brujo. A traditional hot drink in Nahuizalco that today promotes the transformation of this mixture of milk and spices to cold drinks such as frappeé and soon, sorbet made with punch.

The other participants will continue to receive support from PROINNOVA and will be able to participate in other cooperation projects to access financing or industrial equipment.

Present at the award ceremony were PROINNOVA Director Samuel Salazar, CABEI Structuring Executive Juan Federico Figueroa and Liliana Monteiro, KFW's local representative in El Salvador, the executive director of Asociación Ágape El Salvador, Ramón Vega, and the representative of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Miguel Herrera.

This event marks the closing of the first edition of Agroinnova in Sonsonate. The entrepreneurs have gone through a training process, improving their skills in cost management, business management, marketing, minimum viable product development, production processes and quality, business model, among others. In addition, they have strengthened their networks with other entrepreneurs, professionals and support institutions of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Translated by: A.M