ABU DHABI - Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development has officially announced the launch of the E-Commerce Acceleration Programme, a training programme that focuses on helping entrepreneurs with their e-commerce capabilities and capacity.

The programme strives to help deliver real results that impact the entrepreneur's bottom line, generate profit, expand their brand's exposure and improve customer engagement.

The programme will roll out as a five-day capacity-building workshop that will provide entrepreneurs with an e-commerce readiness assessment; how to set up an e-commerce store and develop an operational model; how to drive traffic to and build awareness of the store; and how entrepreneurs can measure their marketing and sales.

The five-day training will take place on the 21st, 22nd, 28th, 29th September, and 4th October. It also provides the participating entrepreneurs with the opportunity to showcase their e-commerce capabilities for a chance to be invited to further training under the programme.

Alia Al Mazrouei, CEO of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, said that the programme provides entrepreneurs with a unique opportunity to gain insights and resources from industry experts in the field of e-commerce. The retail space has seen substantial changes in recent years, with the evolution of digital technologies and their integration into the retail market.

She added, "It's now essential for entrepreneurs to understand how to apply e-commerce practices to their businesses. Understanding digital has become a prerequisite to entering the market, whereas in previous times it was only for a select few of innovative businesses. Thus, we see it as our duty and responsibility as the UAE's leading enterprise developer to equip our entrepreneurs with digital resources and industry insights through programs such as this."

Entrepreneurs who apply to be part of the inaugural edition of the E-Commerce Acceleration Programme will be required to meet a strict criterion to be accepted. Hopeful applicants will have to meet a set criterion which will comprise of, but not be limited to, enterprise size, the types of products that are sold, previous experience with e-commerce and overall business expertise.

Applications are currently open and will be accepted until 14th September. Applicants will be informed about their application status on 15th September, prior to commencing the programme on 21st September. If successful, they will be required to make a one-time payment of AED350.