Reviving Sderot: SafeSpace Complex for Small Businesses and Start-ups

Sderot's greenhouse launched SafeSpace this week, a dedicated complex for small businesses and start-ups in the Sderot area to rehabilitate their activities and support them towards returning to routine, sponsored by Bank Hapoalim and the Sderot Development Fund.

The decision to establish SafeSpace came in response to the severe damage suffered by Sderot and the decision of the Nature Growth management to temporarily freeze its activities to establish a technological greenhouse for Ag-Tech sectors and convert the greenhouse facility into a center to serve small businesses and start-ups in the area.

SafeSpace is intended to serve as a protected shared facility for small businesses and start-ups to rehabilitate their activities and support them in returning to routine and on the path to economic growth. Additionally, in response to the current circumstances, in the coming months, the complex will also serve as a revitalization center for emergency workers in the city and civic organizations that need a safe and secure place to continue promoting activities for the benefit of the residents in the area.

"In light of the events of October 7th"

At a ceremony held this morning in Sderot, attended by Mayor Alon Davidi, the Sderot Development Fund management, the Chairman of Bank Hapoalim, and the Sderot Nature Growth management, initial plans were presented for the use of the 'Sderot Greenhouse' complex for the benefit of Sderot residents and the environment.

Alon Davidi, Mayor of Sderot: "At this stage, we do not know how long it will take the IDF to complete the crucial mission in Gaza and how long it will take the city of Sderot to return to normal. Creating a safe and communal space for businesses and residents to gather is a breath of hope and recovery for Sderot, the Gaza envelope, and our residents".

Reuven Krupik, Chairman of Bank Hapoalim: "The longstanding cooperation between Bank Hapoalim and the southern settlements of the country is strengthening these days in light of the events of October 7th and the 'Iron Dome War'. We are committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen the community and social resilience in the area. SafeSpace is such an initiative, and an important statement within our belief in the region's future.

The bank's support for this initiative joins other steps we have taken following the outbreak of the war through the 'Hapoalim in the Community' fund - which includes support for medical services and rescue organizations, assistance in providing basic equipment to IDF soldiers, as well as support for small businesses and displaced families".

"A safe facility in the heart of Sderot"

Oren Haiman, CEO of the Sderot Innovation Center: "The new facility will be entirely dedicated to the residents of Sderot and the Gaza envelope at no cost. Already next week, a communal café will open here. In December, a new center for start-ups and small businesses will be launched, allowing them to work from the heart of Sderot in a safe, professional, and innovative facility at no cost".

Sderot Greenhouse is a group of entrepreneurs from Israel and around the world, who in 2022 founded the Sderot Greenhouse, a global Ag-Tech greenhouse promoting solutions to the global food and climate crisis, based on Israeli science. The project 'SafeSpace' reflects the deep commitment of the greenhouse management to promote the residents of Sderot and the surrounding areas.