The United States Government, through its Department of Agriculture (USDA), and PROINNOVA, the innovation division of the Fundación Salvadoreña para el Desarrollo Económico y Social (FUSADES), joined forces to develop the first edition of the Agroinnova business growth program in San Vicente.

The entrepreneurs presented products in the areas of food, beverages, natural cosmetics, and agribusiness. They participated in a training process, after which a group of 10 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 entrepreneurial ecosystem for new, young and innovative MSMEs, in addition to promoting adequate access to financial services.

The technical assistance support is equivalent to US$15,000, while the capital delivered will be US$3,000 in total. After evaluating the proposals and pitches of the entrepreneurs, the following winners were selected:

• Third place: Pastelería Cero Azúcar, by Miriam Munguía. Bakery that uses natural ingredients, free of fats and sugars.
• Second place: Spinositos, by Julia Flores. Proposal of natural cosmetics using collagen obtained from egg membrane.
• First place: Vaca Rica - Energy Fruit, by Miguel Burgos. A project to integrate whey, obtained as a by-product of cheese production, into natural energy drinks.

Thanks to financial support from the USDA over the past four years, Agroinnova has trained more than 700 people in entrepreneurial development. Specialized advice to winning ventures has resulted in 200 implemented projects. The assistance, seed capital, and equipment provided amount to the equivalent of more than US$500,000 invested in salvadoran industry.

As part of this network, participants will continue to receive support from PROINNOVA and will be able to participate in other cooperation projects to access financing or industrial equipment. This event marks the closing of the first edition of Agroinnova in San Vicente.

The entrepreneurs have undergone a training process, improving their skills in cost management, business management, marketing, minimum viable product development, production and quality processes, business model, and external confidentiality, among others. In addition, they have strengthened their networks with other entrepreneurs, professionals and support institutions of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Present at the awards ceremony were the coordinator of entrepreneurship and innovation of PROINNOVAFUSADES, Cindy Salguero, CABEI's Structuring Executive, Juan Federico Figueroa and the prosecutor of the Universidad Panamericana, José Asdrúbal Aguilar Avendaño.

Two editions of Agroinnova were held in 2023, in San Salvador and San Vicente. In addition, an edition is being planned to bring this training program to entrepreneurs in Sonsonate.

Agroinnova 2023 San Vicente was organized by PROINNOVA together with the Fundación para la Innovación Tecnológica Agropecuaria (FIAGRO); with funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Secretaría Técnica de Financiamiento Externo (SETEFE)) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Centro de Desarrollo de la Micro y Pequeña Empresa, CDMYPE UPAN San Vicente, and is also supported by the DINAMICA Initiative, a tripartite initiative of the European Union, the Government of Germany through KfW, and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI).

Translated by: A.M