Development and Design of a Finance Guide in Jordan

The project is part of a special initiative run by BMZ designed to stabilize and promote development in North Africa and the Middle East. Its objective is to improve the opportunities for employment-oriented growth of micro, small and medium enterprises, and engages in three main fields of activity: (1) improving enterprise competitiveness in selected sectors of Jordan's economy, (2) enhancing MSME competences and (3) improving the business and investment climate in selected sectors. The project will support the implementation of sectoral and market strategies to boost the prospects of MSMEs and the sectors altogether.

Al Jidara was commissioned by GIZ to produce a guide for entrepreneurs, “Accessing Finance in Jordan – A Guide for Entrepreneurs”, that supports them in accessing financial resources and growing their startups. The guide provides guidance to entrepreneurs on (a) how to turn their ideas into viable startups, (b) funding, including the main financial instruments used, and how to access funding, approach investors, and the funding timeline, and (c) a directory of institutional funders (banks, MFIs, Venture capital and private equity funds, grant providers and donors, leasing firms, and incubators and accelerators) that can be accessed by entrepreneurs and startups in Jordan. The guide also includes the outcomes of focus group discussions and interviews held with entrepreneurs and subject matter experts in the ecosystem. The guide was presented to prominent stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem during an ‘Orientation Workshop’ held over two days to obtain feedback, understand how the guide can be used by these entities, and how it can be improved and sustained. In addition to the guide, Al Jidara submitted a report on the Orientation Workshop and a report detailing its process to recommend an entity to house and sustain the guide