ECITI is a registered Non Profit Organisation established to facilitate rapid introduction, support and business sustainability of ICT and Film sector related SMMEs in the Eastern Cape. To realize these goals, the idea of an incubation program was muted and the Stakeholders resolved to establish ECITI as an incubation centre of SMME.

The key objectives of ECITI are:-

• Promote and facilitate ICT Innovation and Technology Transfer
• Transform ICT/Film start-up companies into successful business ventures
• Support Transfer of ICT/Film skills in the Eastern Cape and reduce the number of SMME failures
• Facilitate provincial economic growth and employment and promote women entrepreneurship in ICT

ECITI operates within the ICT sector. Its core delivery is transformation of ICT start-up companies into successful business ventures. ECITI accomplishes this by creating and incubating Small Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMME), making the incubation of ICT SMME's its core reason for existence. This is achieved by creating and incubating Small Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMME), connecting them to outside resources, and creating the culture for entrepreneurial growth.

This is driven by the fact that ICT graduates from the Eastern Cape are drawn to other provinces, of which some have entrepreneurial potential. So the Province loses intellectual capital and entrepreneurs because there is no support for technological innovative SMME's. Evidence in support of this challenge has also been identified by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) in their 2006 report which indicated that, "South Africa's TEA (Total Entrepreneurship Activity) rate has dropped from 9.4% in 2001 to only 5.29% in 2006" (GEM Report 2006: page 26). It further states that Eastern Cape's TEA amongst women is a mere 1.5% (GEM Report 2006: Page 43). (The Free State which ranks just above Eastern Cape's rate is 7.6 %.) The report also states that according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Special Report (2005) a focus should be on, provision of business skills training, facilitation of business incubation, mentoring and support services.

Area and regions Serviced:

ECITI is be targeting the whole of Eastern Cape with main centers in East London. Satellite offices are also planned for the future in the following arrears:

• Mthatha
• University of FortHare - Alice
• Rhodes University - Grahamstown
• Queenstown

Vision:

ECITI's vision is to be a Centre of Excellence for the promotion of sustainable SMME's through innovation and technology transfer.

Mission Statement:

To contribute towards growth and development of Eastern Cape through:

• Promoting entrepreneurial spirit in the ICT sector
• Business incubation of SMME's in the ICT industry, focusing in both normal incubation and virtual incubation
• Providing a one - stop shop for:
  • Networking
  • Business support
  • Access to finance
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Promoting investments into the Eastern Cape

Center Goals:

The overall goals of ECITI within the Eastern Cape (as determined within the Provincial Growth Development Plan (PGDP) and Local Economic Development (LED) programmes) are to facilitate provincial economic growth and employment creation.

The overall aim of ECITI within the Eastern Cape is to:

• Transform ICT start-up companies into successful business ventures. ECITI will accomplish this by creating and incubating SMME's, connecting them to outside resources, and creating the culture for entrepreneurial growth. This will be achieved through lowering the barriers to entry for innovative SMME ICT entrepreneurs, enhancing the profitability and performance of emerging SMME's and reducing the number of SMME failures through various interventions, mentorship and coaching.
• Promote and facilitate ICT Innovation and Technology Transfer
• Support Transfer of ICT skills in the Eastern Cape
• Facilitate provincial economic growth and employment and promote women entrepreneurship in ICT