AMMAN — A total of 280 micro and small industrial enterprises have qualified for specialised training and technical mentoring under the Entrepreneurship in Industry Programme after successfully passing administrative and financial eligibility checks.

 

The three-day training programme aims to help participating businesses develop improvement plans based on scientific principles and international best practice, strengthen their competitiveness, create sustainable employment opportunities for Jordanians and improve their chances of securing financial grants, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply said in a statement on Sunday.

 

Training will take place at several locations across the Kingdom’s governorates, in co-operation with chambers of industry, to facilitate participation by eligible businesses, according to the statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

 

The training will be followed by a five-week specialised technical mentoring programme, comprising individual sessions with each enterprise to identify its needs and help it develop improvement plans tailored to its operations and priorities, the statement said.

 

The ministry said the training and mentoring would be delivered by 20 specialist trainers and mentors who had been prepared for the programme in co-operation with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and Beyond Consulting.

 

The ministry received 639 online applications for the programme in July and August, after which it assessed applicants’ eligibility. The results are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

 

In its first round, the programme aims to award 120 non-repayable grants to successful micro and small enterprises and a further 30 to medium-sized businesses. The grants will range from JD25,000 to JD100,000, covering between 70 and 80 per cent of project costs.

 

Forty per cent of the grants will be allocated to businesses operating outside Amman, according to the ministry.

 

The programme is funded by the German government and implemented through the German Development Bank (KfW). The technical assessment process and the signing of agreements with successful applicants are expected to be completed early next year.