We’re pleased to share that the outcome evaluation of the Orange Corners and Orange Corners Innovation Fund (OCIF) programmes — commissioned by RVO and conducted by Dialogic and Utrecht University — is now available.
Scope of the evaluation
Undertaken in 2024, the evaluation explores the medium-term outcomes of the 2021 Orange Corners cohorts, to better understand how participants have progressed three years after participating in Orange Corners and OCIF. The research addressed two key objectives:
- To better understand the impact of Orange Corners on the personal and business development of participating youth entrepreneurs;
- To assess the added value of OCIF support in helping these entrepreneurs grow their businesses
Key findings
The evaluation led to many insights into the mid-term outcomes of Orange Corners and OCIF. A few standout findings include:
- Strong survival rates: three years after participation, 81% of Orange Corners-supported businesses were still active—over 90% for those who received OCIF support.
- Growth and progress: the majority of businesses that participated in Orange Corners in 2021 were at the very start of their business journey. Many of these entrepreneurs are still working to make their business profitable. However, the evaluation noted that there already has been significant progress in their development. Alumni businesses have steadily increased their turnover and have been gradually improving their profit margins over time.
- Personal development: alumni reported increased confidence, entrepreneurial mindset and critical skills like opportunity recognition and decision-making in uncertain environments.
- OCIF’s added value: the evaluation found that businesses supported through OCIF made significantly greater progress, with more advanced product and customer development and notably higher revenues compared to those without OCIF support.
Looking ahead
The evaluation highlighted several recommendations, including clarifying whether the programmes should broadly support all youth entrepreneurship or focus on scalable startups, considering more sector-focused participant groups and improving coordination between Orange Corners and OCIF. As the evaluation focused on the 2021 cohorts, it is important to note that many of the evaluations’ recommendations have already been implemented in more recent cohorts or are currently shaping internal discussions.
We welcome the fact that the evaluation’s recommendations align with our current direction and internal discussions and see it as validation of our continuous committed to learning, improving and making our programmes more effective.
We invite you to explore the full report join us in our journey to empower young entrepreneurs around the world. Share your thoughts with us via [email protected]
