Fonds d’appui au prototypage

The Cameroon Small and Medium Enterprises Agency (APME) Prototyping Support Fund is a facilitation, pre-seed and seed mechanism for innovative projects in the prototyping phase (design and development of industrial or industrialisable products).

It is based on a system of subsidies for accelerated prototyping of products and services with proven relevance and potential for growth or job creation. It aims to reduce the difficulties experienced by entrepreneurs and to protect the intellectual property relating to their project idea or business project.  

The APME Prototyping Support Fund aims to  

• Support and promote innovation in partnership with the ecosystem;
• Facilitate the emergence, initiation and realisation of small and large-scale industrial projects;
• Support the development of SMEs and strengthen the links between them and large corporations, the State + CTD and academic circles;
• The emergence of collaborative R&D projects responding to sectoral issues;
• The development of innovative products and services and/or with high growth potential and their marketing over a period of 12 to 36 months;
• The mobilisation of financial stakeholders and investors;
• The promotion of local industry and the local/national influence of Cameroonian SME know-how;
• The economic and industrial influence of Cameroon internationally.  

Calls for expressions of interest for prototyping service providers are launched by APME in the framework of the Prototyping Support Fund.  The financial facility is only accessible to Cameroonians in Cameroon and the Cameroonian diaspora.  100 innovative Cameroonian projects have been supported in the last 3 years.