JOin UP! Creating an inclusive, more connected and better resourced social entrepreneurship eco-system in Jordan

JOinUP! Creating an inclusive, more connected and better-resourced social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Jordan is a (33) months-long project funded by the EU and implemented by Oxfam in Jordan and TTi. The project aims to contribute to the growing economic engagement of women and vulnerable/marginalized groups in Jordan in an inclusive manner, by improving the conditions that help in the development of social entrepreneurship, as a driver for economic and social inclusion in Jordan.

Social entrepreneurship provides a great gateway to further economic inclusion. However, this process requires dedicated efforts towards vulnerable groups, because without attention to inequalities and power relations, social entrepreneurship may reproduce traditional inequalities related to access to entrepreneurship.  

Social Entrepreneurship (SE) ecosystem in Jordan continues to formulate and grow, while still requiring a holistic approach to thrive and flourish. JOinUP! is investing in developing strong and viable Social Entrepreneurship Support Organizations (SESOs), while targeting nearly (40) SESOs to better equip and support social entrepreneurs. As SESOs function at the intermediary level of the SE ecosystem, they can influence both policy level changes, aggregate impact and increase public and institutional knowledge of the sector at the macro level, while also providing support to grassroot individuals and collectives of social enterprises. At the same time, the project works at the micro level with (41) Social enterprises that have been selected through an include call for proposal and are sector agnostic, varying in size in terms of employed people.

Furthermore, developing a successful Social Enterprise (SE) remains a more complex endeavor for women, youth, People With Disability (PWD), and refugees, and more generally those in disadvantaged circumstances. In addition to the challenges typically faced by any new enterprise, social entrepreneurs that are led by women, youth, PWDs, and refugees face additional gender/age/disability/legal/protection -based obstacles, just like they do in the traditional, for-profit sector.
Both SESOs and SEs can play a vital role in promoting the inclusion of women and vulnerable groups; by being informed and sensitized on the positive effects that social entrepreneurship can generate in terms of economic development and social inclusion. Therefore, they shall address persistent problems of poverty and inequality by harnessing SEs potential to create income opportunities in both urban and rural areas, for vulnerable groups (women, youth, PWDs and refugees).

1. Increased quality and accessibility of Social Entrepreneurship Support Organisation services for inclusive Social Enterprises, in particular women-led SEs.
2. To improve the conditions for the development of Social Entrepreneurship as a driver for economic and social inclusion in Jordan.
3. Improved sustainability and competitiveness of existing Social Enterprises, identified as having high potential for driving inclusive job creation, social innovation and women's economic empowerment in both urban and rural areas.

1. Increase the number of SEs in Jordan. 
2. Increase the number of disadvantaged men and women leading, employed, or engaged in SEs.
3. Increase SEs accessing quality services from targeted SESOs.
4. Empower SESOs to provide tailored and innovative services to Social Enterprises. 
5. Increase SEs revenues; turnover, income and/or number of employees.
6. Empower SEs to kick off new activities, expand their businesses, launch additional investments, and adopt new innovative practices under the sub-grants scheme.
7. Create a close partnership environment between SEs and SESOs at the national, regional, and international levels. .

1. 40 SESOs - estimated 60 technical staff - working closely with SEs and willing to improve the quality of their services through inclusion training, peer learning, partnerships and capacity building.
2. 41 established social enterprises that show a high potential for driving inclusive job creation, social innovation and women’s economic empowerment in promising sectors.  Particular attention (through earmarked proportions of the sub-granting scheme) will be given to SEs led by and/or that provide jobs for women, youth, PWDs, and refugees, or ones which create impact at both urban and rural areas, in particular in poverty pockets.
3. Specialized stakeholders (public, semi-public, private, civil society) that work to advance the socioeconomic status of disadvantaged groups’ or work on inclusive entrepreneurship and social innovation.