Jordan, GIZ sign deal to support 20 small businesses in creative sectors

Jordan's National Fund for Enterprise Support (NAFES) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) have signed an agreement to support about 20 small businesses in jewelry, filmmaking, and e-sports and gaming.

The memorandum was signed by Higher Council for Science and Technology Secretary-General Mashhoor Refai and GIZ Project Lead Elisaveta Kostova, establishing a joint support pathway for small and medium-sized enterprises.

In the first phase, NAFES will assess participating companies' capacity for innovation and provide specialized technical advice to help them prepare for expansion. 

Companies that meet the criteria will then move to a second phase, in which they can be referred to NAFES for direct financial support. The program will prioritize women-led and women-owned businesses, as well as companies that employ people with disabilities.

The deal aligns with Jordan's Economic Modernization Vision, which aims to drive sustainable growth, expand job opportunities and improve private-sector competitiveness. 

According to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, creative industries and film production locations are among eight national economic growth drivers identified in the vision's roadmap.

Jordan's business sector is dominated by small enterprises: a 2018 census counted 167,519 active enterprises, of which 99.5 percent were micro, small or medium-sized. 

Meanwhile, the EBRD's Jordan Country Strategy 2025-2030 puts unemployment at 21.4 percent in 2024, youth unemployment at 46.6 percent, and female labor-force participation at 18.7 percent.