The Enterprise Development Fund – Tameer (EDF-t) is designed to catalyse conditions that allow displaced persons to return to their area of origin. It targets many potential grantees who currently live in displacement camps but want to restore or restart their business after returning to their area of origin. The EDF-t emphasizes critical agricultural sectors, as well as the employment of women and vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The EDF-t has been launched in areas of high return for IDPs including Sinjar, Ninewa and in Shirqat, Salah al-Din.
During the war against ISIL, many business owners experienced violence, loss, destruction of their homes, separation of their families, and displacement. In addition, many lost their assets, capital, staff, and local networks that are crucial in restoring their businesses. As such, the EDF-t has been adapted to be more flexible in the grantee’s obligations for matching contribution, years of operation and number of existing employees.
Linkage to Durable Solutions
IOM’s Transition and Recovery programme has a strong commitment to support people affected by displacement in achieving durable solutions through programme interventions, specialised research, policy development, coordination and support to the Government of Iraq at the national and local levels. With this objective, IOM has been implementing a comprehensive programme approach aimed at improving conditions in areas of origin and of destinations of IDPs to create conducive conditions to sustainable settlement. This includes the provision of basic services and income generation, as well as supporting facilitated, sustainable and voluntary returns and relocation of people remaining in displacement. The wider objective is to enable IDPs to make informed and voluntary decisions and to pursue those decisions in a safe, dignified and sustainable way.
Individual or household-level services are provided as cash grants, housing rehabilitation or reconstruction, legal and protection assistance as well as livelihoods assistance and referral to other services, while community-level assistance is determined through community-based participatory methods and seeks to restore access to basic services in areas of return and revive the economic situation of communities.
Within this framework of durable solutions, the EDF-t explores how providing tailored support to SMEs can become a tool to foster reintegration of former IDPs areas of origin. The adapted processes of EDF-t in areas of displacement allow the displaced population to complete their application process for EDF in areas of displacement camps and prepare their business activation plans prior to returning to their areas of origin.
Livelihoods Assessments -
Enterprise Development Fund (EDF)-Tameer LESSONS LEARNED
EDF Overviews -
EDF Tameer Overview (EDF-t)
