Bahrain Fintech Bay (BFB) and the US State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), have teamed up to launch a virtual acceleration programme called “Build for Bahrain”.

The programme aims to enable local startups to develop innovative solutions that address the challenges in the health and business continuity sector while supporting the economic recovery of the Kingdom and future-proof its digital economy.

“We are proud to be launching this first of its kind programme in the Kingdom of Bahrain with our partners at the US Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative and we believe tangible cross border collaboration will pave the way for future impactful projects. ‘Build for Bahrain’ is one of several programmes introduced by Bahrain FinTech Bay’s ‘Innovate for Bahrain’ initiative which aims to accelerate economic recovery, health, and prosperity and as an outcome crystalise the kingdom’s long-term commitment to innovation,” said Khalid Dannish, CEO of Bahrain Fintech Bay.

The programme will first accept and review 20 tech-enabled proposals from local startups. The shortlisted teams will be put into an incubation programme at the BFF, through which they receive mentorship from industry experts and work on developing their minimum viable product (MVP). The finalists will have the opportunity to pitch at a demo day, where only three teams will receive funding to further develop their solutions.