Ethiopia Program FAQs
Q1: What is the candidate criteria for the Alibaba Netpreneur Training program?
• You MUST be a founder/co-founder or business owner of an officially registered venture that has been in operation for at least 2 years.
• You MUST provide at least 1 referral in your application (referrals from a partner/organizer are preferred).
• You MUST provide your official business license when requested during the application process.
• Entrepreneurs and business leaders below 45 years old, female entrepreneurs and Ethiopian business owners are strongly encouraged to apply.
Q2: I am the founder of the company. Can I send my son or daughter or other representatives to attend the program?
The program is designed for founders, co-founders or business owners. We will only consider the representative if he or she is one of the founders or business owners in the company. If your business is a family business and your son/daughter is actively managing the company, he or she can also apply. Any representatives must submit their own application and be interviewed in order to attend.
Q3: Can more than one founder/co-founder/business owner from one company apply and join the program?
More than one founder/co-founder/business owner from a company can apply. However, due to limited positions in the program, we can only offer admission to one founder/co-founder/business owner from each company. Our team will decide who to invite based on the strength of a candidate's application and interview.
Q4: I understand applicants need to submit business registration. Where on the online form should I upload/fill up this?
You do not need to upload your business registration for the online application. We may request a business license during the interview stage. Please be prepared to present your business license if you are selected to interview.
Q5: What language will the Alibaba Netpreneur Training program be conducted in?
English. Fluency in English is required to participate.
Q6: Where is the program going to take place?
You will be spending 10 days in Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, which is 50 minutes away from Shanghai by high-speed rail. Our headquarters’ address is 969 West Wen Yi Road, Yu Hang District, Hangzhou, China.
Q7: Where will I be staying during the program?
Alibaba will provide shared rooms in Mulian Hotel next to Alibaba Xixi Headquarters Campus.
Address of Mulian Hotel: No. 998 Wenyi West Road, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, China ( Chinese version: 中国浙江省杭州市余杭区文一西路998号浙江海创园2号楼)
Q8: When should I arrive in Hangzhou? What is the earliest I can leave Hangzhou after the program?
You will be required to check into the hotel on 28th June (Sunday). We will kick off the program on the morning of 29th June (Monday). The following day, the 39th June (Tuesday), we will require all participants to get a local SIM card and open an Alipay account (if you do not already have these) in order to fully experience the program and the "cashless" city of Hangzhou. The program will finish around 21:00 pm on 8th July. You are expected to complete the program; therefore the earliest you can leave Hangzhou is the evening of 8th July. We recommend booking the return travel on 9th July.
Q9: What costs will Alibaba cover? What cost do I have to cover?
Alibaba will cover the cost of the training, accommodation (shared room), and transportation for site visits.
Participants are expected to cover the cost of their visa application, flight, food, transportation from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the airport along with any other personal expenses. You will also need to cover the full cost of accommodation if you request a single hotel room(~85 USD/room/night).
Program Home
Visit Ethiopia programs homepage for program overview and applications.
Program Framework