| Aziz Idris |
DARE (Darussalam Enterprise) yesterday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Britain Brunei Business Forum (BBBF), in a signing ceremony held at the Design and Technology Building in Kampong Anggerek Desa.
Under the agreement, the BBBF will provide informal mentoring to the start-up companies supported by DARe.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Richard Lindsay.
Signing on behalf of DARe was CEO Javed Ahmad while BBBF was represented by the Chairman William Martin.
The MoU stemmed from the BBBF’s initiative to understand the role and purpose of DARe, in addition to identifying ways in which the BBBF might assist micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by drawing on the wide range of skills and experience that its membership has to offer.
Prior to the signing, the British High Commissioner said, “The signing of this MoU shows how members of the BBBF are supporting DARe in building an entrepreneurial spirit in Brunei. I hope this will make a significant contribution to the achievement of the Vision 2035 goals. We should thank the BBBF Committee for their initiative in driving this forward.”
Meanwhile, Javed Ahmad welcomed the BBBF’s support for the young entrepreneurs.
“The BBBF has worked hard with us to develop this initiative,” he said in his speech. “The forum has a diverse membership that can add considerable value to our incubatee companies, with their experience, and we look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship.”
The BBBF was founded under the patronage of the British High Commission in Brunei Darussalam, to enable British and Bruneian entrepreneurs to meet to further trade.
The forum assists Bruneian business people in finding British partners for enhancing business performance, and circulates information about business opportunities with Britain through the Bruneian business community.
The forum also provides a diverse and inclusive network to build opportunities for international and local organisations in Brunei, with ties to British businesses.
“This ceremony marks the culmination of talks between the BBBF and DARe, to put together a support network for start-ups,” said William Martin. “We have been impressed by the energy and professionalism of many of the start-ups that we have already met, and look forward to working with them in the future.”
Also present at the event were members of the BBBF Committee, who were instrumental in supporting this initiative.