Hotpack Global, one of the leading manufacturers of food packaging products, has partnered with 60 Day Start-ups (60DS) to support female entrepreneurs in the UAE as a part of Hotpack’s Takkah Project. The partnership aims at providing training and mentorship to women-led start-ups in the food industry.
Hotpack launched the Takkah Project on International Women’s Day as a year-long initiative to empower women-led food businesses in the UAE. Recently, the company partnered with 60DS which is the first community-led, female-only business accelerator in the UAE to extend its support to female entrepreneurs that are a part of the 60DS community.
Regarding the partnership, Shahana Ahmad, Hotpack Global E-Commerce Head, said, “We have found the perfect partner in 60DS to collaborate on the Takkah Project because they share the same vision that we have of empowering and supporting women in the UAE. With the help of their network and training programs, coupled with our resources and expertise in business and packaging, we hope to improve the representation of female entrepreneurs.”
“A lot of women in business are facing problems when it comes to meeting their supply needs and meeting their customer demand on time. With the Takkah Project, we aim to address these challenges for female entrepreneurs in the food service industry by encouraging, supporting, building meaningful relationships with them, and enabling them to achieve their business goals,” added Ahmad.
Hotpack is providing AED 1.2 million in support for women-led start-ups in the F&B industry in UAE for one year as a part of the Takkah Project. It is operated from the Hotpack webstore and offers entrepreneurs a wide selection of free food packaging options that they can choose from.
The initiative aims to provide for 50 women entrepreneurs every month with 2,000 AED worth of products to these qualifying women.
Nida Sumar, Founder of 60DS, stated, “There is much to be gained, not just in the literal partnership, but also the learning curve for the entire 60DS community and beyond when a homegrown success like Hotpack supports, in spirit and resources, the mission of improving diversity, equity and inclusion in the entrepreneurship space.”
60DS has supported three cohorts consisting of entrepreneurs, students, mothers and working women who are attempting to build their ventures in relatively niche industries. The first two cohorts helped 12 start-ups acquire their first customer. The last cohort was the largest as of yet, consisting of 14 graduates, catering to different niches and segments. Currently, the 60DS team is actively working on structuring its program and launching a cohort of 30+ female Founders in October. The applications for Cohort 4 are still open.
Nida further stated, “60DS was established with the goal of creating a sustainable and supportive community for women in business and to enable them to get to the point of generating revenue within a timeline of 60 days. The team behind 60DS has experienced the same struggles as the first-time businesswomen that we are trying to help. Regardless of if that help is through alleviating systemic gender inequality, helping acquire access to funds or simply providing the right guidance.”
Hotpack Global announced the Takkah Project at a special ceremony for women entrepreneurs on International Women’s Day. Registration for the project is currently live on the Hotpack website for women entrepreneurs in the food sector.