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Previous Projects

STEP

“STEP” program is designed to equip and integrate university graduates with the necessary skills to enter the job market. It also aims to develop guiding tools for university professors and career guidance counselors. The program is implemented by the Business Development Center (BDC) and SPARK, with funding from the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund.

Through this initiative, comprehensive advisory services will be provided to develop a set of career readiness guiding tools for university professors and career counselors.

CLUSTER – advanCing youth and women sociaL inclUSion in The MEditeRranean

 
Duration: September 2021- August 2023
 

The economic hardships following the COVID-19 pandemic have heavily affected employment opportunities in the Euromed region, raising numbers of citizens at risk of poverty and social exclusion. The most vulnerable groups – youth and women – are facing, as a result, serious socio-economic challenges. Moreover, changing labour market demands and the growing importance of diversifying and investing in Sustainable Economy sectors to better cope with future economic and climate crises require reskilling or upskilling of youth as part of an effective response to such challenges.

Against this background, CLUSTER adapts multi-actors, integrated and regional approach, and aims to create a supportive environment for youth/women employment schemes, by equipping NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), in particular women, between 18-30 years of age, with employability skills in Blue Economy, Circular Economy, Green Economy and Sustainable Agriculture sectors, promoting long-lasting partnerships between Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and the private sector, and raising awareness of public authorities and policy-makers.

The overall objective of CLUSTER is to tackle social exclusion and poverty amongst vulnerable groups in Cyprus, France, Italy, Jordan, Palestine, Spain, and Tunisia by capitalising on results of previous projects and equipping NEETs and women with marketable skills in the Sustainable Economy sectors. To that end.

MADAD II Brief

"Towards Stronger Economic Participation of Women in Jordan" project, funded by the
European Union and implemented by the Euro-Med Feminist Initiative (EFI) in partnership with
the Business Development Centre – BDC and Tamkeen Association for Legal Aid and Human
Rights. This project is dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for women's economic
participation in Jordan withing 9 targeted areas (East mman, Ein albasha, Zarqaa, Azraq, Jerash,
Ajloun, Ramtha, Irbid, and Karak, aligning with the national vision outlined in the Jordan 2025
strategy to increase women's employment from 18% to 24% by 2025.
Throughout the project's lifespan, BDC renovated Women Economic Empowerment Units
(WEEUs) in eight municipalities , and were equipped with essential tools, and provided with
conducive training environments. This improvement empowered local women by offering them a
supportive space to develop their skills.
A total of 5,282 women were trained in soft skills such as time management, team building, and
CV writing, enhancing their abilities to meet market demands. This training significantly
improved their employability and readiness for the job market. Additionally, 1,208 job
opportunities were mapped and identified, leading to the successful employment of 210 women
across various sectors. This employment effort has played a crucial role in reducing female
unemployment in Jordan and helping women achieve financial independence.
Moreover, 582 women received training in Home-Based Businesses (HBBs), covering key areas
such as project management, legal counseling, feasibility studies, and digital marketing. This
initiative empowered women to launch and manage their own businesses, fostering
entrepreneurship and self-employment. The project also provided an in-kind seed fund to 57
women, allowing them to implement their business ideas and contribute to the local economy.
In collaboration with MoLA, an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) manual was
developed to guide local communities and WEEUs, enhancing their knowledge and
communication skills.

An awareness campaign was conducted to highlight the importance of gender equality in the
labor market and to challenge stereotypes that prevent women from participating in the labour
market. The project has successfully made a difference in women's economic empowerment in
Jordan, fostering sustainable development and creating a positive impact on the community.

MADAD I Brief

“Strengthening access to protection, participation and services for women refugees, IDPs and host
communities” Project funded by the European Union through the European Union Regional Trust Fund
for Responding to the Syrian Crisis, the Madad Fund, and by implementing the coalition led by the Euro-
Mediterranean Feminist Initiative (EFI) with Business Development Centre (BDC) and Tamkeen.
The project targeted five areas in Jordan—Jerash, Ajloun, Deir Alla, Azraq (City and Camp), and East
Amman—with the goal of enhancing the livelihoods of Syrian refugee women and vulnerable Jordanian
women by providing decent work opportunities and addressing the social, cultural, and legal challenges
that prevent women from participating in the labor market.
Over the course of the project, 3,446 women were trained and qualified to enter the labor market
through various training programs, including soft and employability skills, marketing and sales,
photography and event management, and entrepreneurial skills. Furthermore, 607 women were trained
in entrepreneurship, with 67 of them receiving grants to start their own businesses.
 Furthermore, 208 women underwent vocational training, leading to 456 women securing employment
in the labor market. A total of 2,911 women participated in awareness sessions focused on women's
rights in the labor market.

3,446
Women trained and more

456
Women employed

67
Funded Project

 

The Tanmyah Program (2018-2023), funded by AFD, empowered vulnerable communities in Jordan by providing vocational training, job placements, and entrepreneurship support. It reached 11,409 youth, created 7,456 job opportunities, and trained 678 entrepreneurs (77% female). The program also developed 87 vocational leaders to support beneficiaries, driving sustainable economic growth.

BDC works in all Jordanian governorates, targeting poverty pockets and hard-to-reach areas to foster local economic development, enhance local communities’ livelihoods and generate durable employability and entrepreneurship solutions for their members. Over the years, we have built community-led empowerment and development models by working closely with local stakeholders such as Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), Civil-Society Organisations (CSOs) and municipalities. After a participatory consultation process and needs assessments, we provide our partners with targeted capacity-building trainings, and thereby contribute to improving the services they offer to their communities. In response to the economic impact of Covid-19, we have been scaling-up our support towards CBOs as a solution model for economic recovery, leveraging livelihood opportunities. We are supporting 30 local CBOs and over 14,000 families from remote areas of Jordan, to sustain and enhance their income-generating activities, through direct financial support, and the provision of equipment and raw material.

Heart of Amman II, a programme funded by the government of Japan to improve the socio-economic conditions of vulnerable individuals and communities, has engaged hundreds of beneficiaries in entrepreneurship-focused community projects.

The programme is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Business Development Centre (BDC) in partnership with the Greater Amman Municipality and the National Microfinance Bank, according to a BDC statement.

The programme reached out to 500 beneficiaries to train 400 of them in employment opportunities in different sectors, the statement said.

The programme targets unemployed men and women between the ages of 18 and 40.

The programme included two main pillars. The first pillar involves youth proposals for entrepreneurial projects. A specialised committee then reviews the proposals and selects 25-30 of them to receive training and startup loans. 

The second pillar involves vocational training for youth. The youth who receive the training are matched with employment opportunities across sectors.

Several job fairs were organised in cooperation with the chambers of industry and trade to match youth with potential opportunities.

SANAD Youth Empowerment & Employability (YEE) Project– a developmental program designed and implemented by the Business Development Center (BDC) and funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development. SANAD aims at advancing Jordan’s economy, increasing employment opportunities, promoting entrepreneurship amongst youth and strengthening private sector partnerships with community colleges especially in the Governorates. This is through building the capacity of youth and providing them with the needed technical, life and entrepreneurship skills in order to prepare them to join the job market.

SANAD “Know About Business”  (KAB) program implemented in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO). This program provided training for vocational school teachers on all components of the “Know About Business” program. Through this innovative program, students were introduced by their trained teachers to the world of business and the opportunities and challenges of self-employment, contributing to the development of an entrepreneurial mindset among students

Business and Export Development Project for Jordanian Enterprises “Tatweer”- Managed by BDC and funded by USAID, this project from 2005 till 2010. Tatweer focuses on enhancing the competitiveness of Jordanian SMEs and maximizing the benefits of free trade agreements. To date Tatweer has provided financial grants in the form of: technical and marketing assistance, business plans and strategies, market analysis and assessment, product and process development, market outreach and backward linkages, export facilitation, and capacity building of middle management. 

Support Women Led CBOs for Modeling Social Enterprise Project – The initiative aimed at developing local tourism projects, It employed a value-driven and holistic approach to sustainability by engaging women and young females (18-24 years) from the community in project activities. This was achieved by enhancing the management and production capacity of local CBOs while increasing the ability of local women and young females to create local development initiatives. These initiatives were then transformed into sustainable, revenue-generating social enterprises, serving as service providers and suppliers of local products.

Supporting entrepreneurship and MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) is the backbone of BDC’s goal to reduce unemployment in Jordan, and achieve an inclusive and sustainable economic growth. In alignment with SDGs 8, 11, 13 and 17, our projects aim to foster a fertile and enabling business environment for aspiring entrepreneurs to flourish and grow. We provide them with adequate access to finance, sustainable support structures, proper guidance and reliable platforms of information, as well as business development services and capacity building programs. Our training programs are designed to inspire entrepreneurial mindsets, behaviours and skills amongst youth, with a specific focus on green and social entrepreneurship for sustainable, gender sensitive, and environment-friendly impact. Additionally, BDC acts as a facilitator and builds on the expertise of private, public and local partners, innovative initiatives and resources to support Jordan MSMEs to reach their full business potential, by becoming more competitive – nationally and globally –, profitable, and hence able to generate employment opportunities for their communities.

Supporting Host Communities and Refugees is at the core of BDC’s mission, vision, and goals. In alignment with SDGs 1, 8, 10, and 11, BDC’s projects are dedicated to leveraging the economic status and improving the livelihoods of Jordanians and Syrian refugees, both in camps or urban settings. Our work with host communities in all Jordanian governorates has supported more than 9,500 Syrian refugees and community members in entering the labour market with customised training programmes, career guidance, and job matching services. BDC is also providing host and refugee communities with entrepreneurship and micro-business development trainings, coaching and mentoring promoting skills exchange, joint ventures, and initiatives to achieve financial independence, increasing social cohesion, and fostering sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic growth. In Zaatari, Azraq, King Abdullah Park, and Emirati-Jordanian refugee camps, BDC runs the operations of 20 Makani centers, 3 youth centers, 6 playgrounds and 34 education facilities, in which Syrian children and youth have access to learning opportunities and protected safe spaces amongst other services.

Youth Economic Empowerment Project (Amaluna) was a two-year initiative funded by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that aimed to empower Syrian refugee and Jordanian youth, aged 18-24, by equipping them with the skills and qualifications needed to access sustainable jobs in various vocational sectors based on labor market demand. Through skills development and job matching, the project supported 700 young job seekers from Mafraq, Zarqa, Tafileh, and Madaba.

As part of Amaluna project, the Business Development Center (BDC) designed a business module for “Al Dahmah Association for Women Development/Beit AL Hussainia” and “Beit Khairat Souf Association.” The business module was developed in response to the demand for sustainable employment opportunities for women.

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Technical and Vocational Training in the Camps

The Technical and Vocational Training in the Camps Project is a joint initiative by the European Union, Global Affairs Canada, and the German development agency GIZ. It aims to modernize Jordan’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system, making it more relevant to the needs of the labor market. The project focuses on improving governance, enhancing industry engagement, and promoting gender equality within the TVET sector.

Empowering small and medium-sized businesses in their digital transformation journey. We provide valuable resources, insights, and practical guidance on leveraging digital technologies such as e-commerce, social media marketing, data analytics, and cloud computing to enhance business performance, reach new markets, and thrive in the digital age.

Enterprise Grow is a UK-based initiative that aims to empower students and potential entrepreneurs to develop the necessary business skills to create and run successful enterprises. It provides a range of resources and training programs to help individuals develop their entrepreneurial skills and knowledge. Growing the capacities and competitiveness of micro- and small enterprises (MSEs) in Jordan

Supporting Host Communities and Refugees is at the core of BDC’s mission, vision, and goals. In alignment with SDGs 1, 8, 10, and 11, BDC’s projects are dedicated to leveraging the economic status and improving the livelihoods of Jordanians and Syrian refugees, both in camps or urban settings. Our work with host communities in all Jordanian governorates has supported more than 9,500 Syrian refugees and community members in entering the labour market with customised training programmes, career guidance, and job matching services. BDC is also providing host and refugee communities with entrepreneurship and micro-business development trainings, coaching and mentoring promoting skills exchange, joint ventures, and initiatives to achieve financial independence, increasing social cohesion, and fostering sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic growth. In Zaatari, Azraq, King Abdullah Park, and Emirati-Jordanian refugee camps, BDC runs the operations of 20 Makani centers, 3 youth centers, 6 playgrounds and 34 education facilities, in which Syrian children and youth have access to learning opportunities and protected safe spaces amongst other services.

KAB is an entrepreneurship education program designed to foster entrepreneurial skills and mindsets among young people. Through interactive training and practical exercises, KAB aims to empower young people to identify business opportunities, develop business plans, and ultimately start their own businesses.

aims to create a more supportive environment for entrepreneurship in Jordan, particularly focusing on youth employment and self-employment. The project seeks to achieve this by:

Strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem: This involves improving access to finance, mentorship, and market information for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Enhancing employability skills: The project provides training and support to young people to develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the job market.

Promoting self-employment: The project encourages and supports young people to start their own businesses by providing them with the necessary resources and guidance.

Bader is a unique program based on the LIFE curriculum “Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs” designed by Hewlett-Packard HP and the Micro-Enterprise Acceleration Institute (MEA-I) in Switzerland, which is an entrepreneurship training program utilizing technology. The main objective of this program is to facilitate the process of starting a business using simple IT tools, covering essential topics relevant for any start-up; communication, marketing, operations and finance.

The Angel Investor Network “Matchmaking for Development”- through cooperation with the Dutch BiDNetwork (Business in Development Network), BDC assists entrepreneurs and provides them with the professional support, assistance and mentoring to develop business plans and link them to experienced angel investors. It’s main goal is to support entrepreneurship in developing countries, contributes to sustainable economic growth by stimulating Small and Medium sized (SMEs) businesses in emerging markets and it is as an excellent channel to support SMEs and Entrepreneurs in order to gain exposure to the wide variety of non conventional financing and support for their businesses and ideas. 

Gender sensitization is crucial to improving women’s role in the Jordanian labor market, particularly within private sector companies as key contributors to Jordan’s economic development and major employers of the Jordanian workforce. KVINFO and BDC collaborated to work with influential companies in Jordan’s private sector to enhance their internal HR policies, making them more women-friendly. The project specifically focused on recruitment, retention, and the implementation of accommodating workplace policies while promoting women’s advancement toward senior and leadership positions.

Study Tour to Denmark:
HR managers traveled to Denmark to observe and engage with different approaches and practices related to women-friendly HR policies. They explored their effectiveness in enhancing productivity and profitability within organizations.

in partnership with JICA, aimed at inspiring employability and business development among 26 handpicked trainees consisting of urban (10) Jordanians, (9) Syrian refugees, and (7) Palestinian refugees entrepreneurs from Irbid Governorate. The project offers a unique and inclusive opportunity for people of all ages to become empowered with skills, knowledge and creative ideas about how they can strengthen livelihoods and stability, as well as increase business enterprise and employment opportunities in their local communities

Funded by GIZ, the Global Initiative on Innovative Labour Market Services for Youth – YouMatch is a global initiative on bringing young people into employment through improved employment services. To this end, the programme encourages and facilitates an on-going regional and global dialogue on employment services based on peer exchange and addressing core challenges in the region.

This project involves workshops and seminars on resume writing, interview skills, and job search strategies. It also include mentorship programs, industry connections through career fairs and networking events, entrepreneurship training to encourage self-employment, and online resources like career guides and job boards. The goal is to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the job market, make informed career decisions, and foster a culture of innovation and self-reliance among young people.

The SwitchMed Green Entrepreneurship Training Programme is an initiative designed to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills to develop and launch environmentally sustainable businesses. The programme focuses on providing training on green business models, circular economy principles, and sustainable development practices. By equipping entrepreneurs with the necessary tools and knowledge, the programme aims to foster a new generation of businesses that are both profitable and environmentally responsible.