The U.S. Department of State Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and U.S. Embassy Tunis selected FSVC to run a two-year program beginning July 1.  To promote private-sector development in Tunisia, FSVC will deliver technical assistance focused on working with banks to increase lending to small businesses, developing the venture capital sector, and improving the legal and regulatory environment for financing entrepreneurs.  FSVC’s approach will emphasize dialog between the public and private sectors, the adoption of innovative technologies successfully used elsewhere, and building the institutional capacities of in-country partners.  The program was conceived based on an intensive investigation of the local business environment and extensive discussions with Tunisian market participants, as well as previous successful FSVC programs on similar subject matter in Morocco and Egypt.