Morocco Unveils MDM Invest: Empowering Diaspora Entrepreneurs with Million-Dirham Grants

This system aims to support the creation or expansion of businesses in Morocco, directly carried out by MREs, alone or in association. To be eligible, the investor must either be a Moroccan living abroad with a valid residence permit or foreign identity document, or an MRE who has recently returned to the country (less than a year at the time of filing the application). The project presented must reach a minimum amount of one million dirhams.

Only certain sectors of activity can benefit from this public support: industry and related services, education, health and hospitality. Real estate development activities, for example, are excluded from the scope.

The financial structure is based on a simple principle: the MRE must contribute at least 25% of the total project amount in foreign currency, paid into a dedicated dirham account. The state, through Tamwilcom, complements this participation with a grant equivalent to 10% of the MRE’s share, capped at 5 million dirhams. The rest can be covered by a bank loan or another personal contribution.

The financing application is made directly to a Moroccan bank, which acts as a single point of contact. It is the bank that verifies the eligibility of the project, the financial commitment of the MRE and the soundness of the feasibility study. If the file is validated, the bank sends it to Tamwilcom. The grant is then released in several installments, as the investment is actually carried out.

Note that the initial foreign currency contribution can be made up of recent transfers, made in the year preceding the application, provided they are justified. Compliance with commitments is essential: in case of disinvestment within the first five years, the MRE will have to repay the entire grant paid. The same principle applies to the bank if it does not comply with the program’s conditions.

The processing of files is fast: the bank has 21 working days to give its response from the receipt of the complete file, and Tamwilcom proceeds with the payments within 5 working days after validation.

MDM Invest can be a strategic opportunity for MREs wishing to participate in the economic development of Morocco, while securing part of their investment. But the program requires rigor in project management and a lasting commitment.