New Silk Roads New Silk Roads
New Silk Roads is a boutique consultancy agency operating from Cairo, Tunis, and Amsterdam. We specialise in supporting impact-driven organisations and businesses through services such as organisational learning, fundraising, facilitation, research, events, and impact evaluations.
Founded in 2013, our work is deeply rooted in the values of the historic Silk Roads: trust, collaboration, and cross-cultural exchange. These values guide us in connecting our clients to extensive international networks, knowledge, and financial resources. We have implemented various projects, ranging from fellowships and funder learning journeys to coaching changemakers on fundraising and comprehensive research publications in technological trends, climate transition, and contemporary culture.
UNDP Green Growth and Jobs Accelerator (GGJA)
New Silk Roads is providing fundraising, leadership training, and support with monitoring, evaluation, and learning to Flat6Labs, one of the leading business accelerators in the MENA region. One of our success stories is securing a $3.5 million USD tender from UNDP for the "Green Growth and Jobs Accelerator Program", an entrepreneurship support programme implemented in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, and Algeria. New Silk Roads is developing an e-learning curriculum for green SMEs, including several digital courses on green business development, impact measurement, and access to finance for SMEs.
UNESCO Alternative Funding Models for Heritage Communities
How can alternative funding models better support communities who actively create and maintain heritage, often outside formal institutional frameworks? Together with UNESCO Netherlands and 100 Funds, we investigated a range of funding models that are aligned with Faro Convention principles, which center heritage within citizens' right to participate in cultural life and as a resource for human and economic development. New Silk Roads contributed to the brochure by providing guidance on innovative financing and governance models from lease-to-own mechanisms and non-extractive loans to participatory grantmaking and p2p art publishing and financing platforms.
The brochure #Onbetaalbaar (in Dutch) can be found here: https://lnkd.in/etn6REhf.
Philea Peer Learning Journey
The Philanthropy Europe Association (Philea) contracted New Silk Roads to facilitate a two-year peer-learning journey on international cooperation for the Funders International Network for Development (FIND) member community. This initiative includes a series of online deep dives and in-person meetings in Brussels and Lisbon, focusing on emerging trends and practices such as locally-led development, innovative funding instruments, and collaborations with African philanthropy. The New Silk Roads team has curated a lineup of dynamic speakers for these sessions and will also develop an interactive digital knowledge product. The FIND member community is co-chaired by “la Caixa” Foundation and Anglo American Foundation.
Green Growth Summit
New Silk Roads offered project management, facilitation, and event management services for the 2024 Green Growth Summit in Tunis and Cairo, bringing together over 400 entrepreneurs, investors, business support organisations, donors, DFIs, and policymakers interested in the green transition. Key activities included organising donor roundtables with 27 funders, resulting in the creation of two donor task forces, and hosting investor engagement activities such as investment deal rooms. Additionally, our fundraising team secured additional event sponsorships from regional donors to expand the summits’ reach and impact.
DOEN: Impact Investment in Arts and Culture
New Silk Roads conducted a feasibility study for DOEN Ventures for a new impact investment fund for the cultural and creative sector in Europe. Together with an 100 Funds, we interviewed over 40 impact investors, artists, and cultural entrepreneurs to discuss the opportunities and challenges for impact investment in arts and culture, specifically in the Netherlands. Subsequently, New Silk Roads is advising DOEN Ventures, Moleskine Foundation, and Opes Impact Fund with setting up the impact investment fund for culture and creativity in Europe, sourcing investible cultural ventures in Europe, and making introductions to potential LPs.
Read the full study here.
Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts: Learning Partner
New Silk Roads is currently the learning partner for the Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts, a philanthropic collaborative programme that champions the power of socially engaged arts in driving positive social change across Europe. The Alliance is currently in its pilot phase, and includes a fellowship bringing together 15 socially engaged arts leaders alongside a range of advocacy activities.
Beginning with the development of a learning framework for the programme, we are conducting an evaluation of the pilot phase that will drive sustainable learning in future cycles of the programme.
Summer 2025 Updates
From Cairo to Tunis to Amsterdam, the sun is (mostly) shining and summer vacation is calling. But first—some highlights from New Silk Roads and our partners' collaborations these last few months.
Annual Report 2024
Annual Report 2024 Now Available!
Winter 2023-2024 Updates
As winter turns to spring, we're delighted to share the latest updates from New Silk Roads. In 2024, our work to support a just green transition continues, including launching the Green Growth Summit, featuring flagship one-day events in Tunisia (April 30, 2024) and Egypt (May 14, 2024). We partnered with Flat6Labs on a 4-year program, together with UNDP and we developed a research product with EnDev and RVO.