Migrant's S.T.E.P
Supporting Tools for Economic Projects

The STEP project was born from a project proposal within the EC-UN Joint Initiative on Migration and Development, co-financed by the European Union and the United Nations and Managed by the UNPD.
This project is presented as a model to support immigrants initiatives integrating different levels of interventions and involving different types of actors.

Objective
The project aims to build appropriate tools to support migrant's economic programs in order to create synergy among the actors, despite their diversity, and facilitate the sharing, dissemination and sustainability in the areas of intervention : Diourbel Region in Senegal, the Veneto Region and the Region of Brussels.

STEP aspire to: 

1. Strengthening and decentralize the action of approved financial structures (Mutuelle d'Epargne de la Confesen CONFESEN-MEC), and introduce new financial products specifically made to improve the quality of services offered to migrants in terms of innovation, cost, performances, impact and accessibility. 
2. Increase support for investment and business creation by migrants. 
3. Consolidate and share the tools of communication, exchange and partnership used by FOSAP - Forum Sénégalais des Affaire set du Partenariat.

To achieve these objectives, the project will help to reduce costs and duration of transfers, to improve the accessibility and distribution of resources among the weakest sections of the population, to strengthen management and channelling of funds transferred and finally to support a greater impact of migration on socioeconomic development of Diourbel Region.

Partnership
Lead Partner:

• CONFESEN- Confederation Sénégalaise pour la promotion des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises des Migrants

Partners:

• ARD - Regional Development Agency of Diourbel
• University of Bambey
• ONG Connexions Sans Frontiéres
• CGMD Coordinator-General of Migrants for Development
• Veneto Region, Department of International Affairs
• Unioncamere Veneto

Budget
The total project cost is € 190,164.00

Duration
The project has a total duration of 15 months as established by the "Joint Migration and
Development Initiative"; from 1 October 2009-31 March 2011.