81315902-Increasing SME's competitiveness through innovation and strategic collaboration in Jordan

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is implementing the Innovative Private Sector Development Approaches for Employment Promotion (I-PSD) Project in Jordan (January 2024 - December 2027). Its goal is to address challenges within Jordan's private sector by enhancing innovation, improving competitiveness, and creating high-quality, inclusive employment opportunities. The project collaborates with the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply (MoITS), private sector entities, chambers of commerce, business associations, academia, and other organizations. I-PSD aims to foster innovation-driven growth in Jordan's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and promote diversity and inclusion in the workforce, thus supporting the country's economic transformation and labour market. The project is structured around four outputs: Project Output 1: Support to Governmental Institutions in Implementing National Economic Development Strategies This output focuses on strengthening governmental institutions, especially MoITS, to implement national economic development strategies. A core focus is the implementation of the Economic Modernization Vision (EMV), along with its associated national strategies (Industrial Strategy, E-Commerce Strategy, Export Strategy). Key activities include: - Supporting MoITS in designing and implementing policies and strategies that promote innovation, competitiveness, and job creation in key sectors. - Providing technical assistance to improve the institutional capacity of MoITS and other relevant government bodies in managing and implementing government initiatives related to innovation. Project Output 2: Supporting SMEs in Implementing Innovation Measures Output 2 supports SMEs in Jordan by helping them adopt innovative practices to enhance their operations, products, and business models, thereby improving their competitiveness. - Providing technical support to SMEs, including women-led businesses, to implement innovations like process improvements, technology adoption, and product development. - Offering training and advisory services to strengthen SMEs' innovation capacities and align them with global best practices. - Facilitating market access by connecting SMEs with new local and regional partners. - Assisting SMEs in accessing finance to implement innovative measures. Project Output 3: Fostering Cooperation in the Innovation Ecosystem This output strengthens Jordan's innovation ecosystem by fostering collaboration between chambers of commerce, business associations, academia, SMEs and private sector support institutions. The aim is to create an environment conducive to business growth through networking, knowledge-sharing, and partnerships. - Supporting the creation of multi-actor partnerships to stimulate joint innovation initiatives. - Organizing knowledge-sharing and networking events to encourage collaboration and exchange best practices. - Developing capacity-building programs for intermediaries to enhance their role in supporting innovation and business development. Project Output 4: Strengthening Diversity and Inclusion in SMEs This output focuses on promoting diversity and inclusion within SMEs, particularly in increasing the representation of women and persons with disabilities in the workforce. - Supporting SMEs in applying the Gender Diversity Management (GDM) framework, which promotes gender-sensitive policies and equal opportunities. - Helping SMEs integrate persons with disabilities into the workforce by improving recruitment, retention strategies, workplace accessibility, and fostering an inclusive culture. - Developing role models and champions for gender diversity and inclusion in the private sector to inspire other companies to adopt similar practices.