Women Entrepreneurship Development Programme in Yemen

The Small Micro Enterprise Promotion Service – SMEPS Yemen Social Fund for Development The Small Micro Enterprise Promotion Service (SMEPS) is a subsidiary of the social fund for development (SFD) was established by the SFD to address the needs of business services for SMEs. The Social Fund for Development was established in 1997 by Law No.10 as one of the measures to cushion the effects of the government’s reform programs on vulnerable groups, especially the poor. The SFD was formed as an autonomous agency with financial and administrative independence, governed by a Board of Directors, representing the government, NGOs, and the private sector under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. The SFD seeks to reduce poverty by improving living conditions and providing income generating opportunities for the poor. SFD operations are carried out by seven project units: The Education, Cultural Heritage & Rural Roads , Water & Environment , Health & Social Protection , Training & Organizational Support , Agriculture & Rural Development , and Small & Micro Enterprises Development . These Units are responsible for policy setting, providing support to branch offices and monitoring progress within their respective sectors. The Yemen national strategy for small and micro enterprises (SME) development was approved by the council of Ministers on January 17, 2005. It included the establishment of a national agency to promote small and micro enterprises (The Small Micro Enterprise Promotion Service - SMEPS). SMEPS will be responsible for directing and coordinating activities to provide improved non-financial services for SMEs by planning, directing, coordinating and monitoring several programs with partner organizations. The programs will be aimed at stimulating growth and diversity within the SME sector. The ILO has an on-going project with SMEPS on “entrepreneurship education: KAB” targeting youth which started in 2008 under the patronage of the Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training. This collaboration has so far been successful. An Agreement was signed in May 2008 (copy attached) The website of the SMEPS: http://smeps.org/smeps/index.php The website of SFD: http://www.sfd-yemen.org/aboutSFD.htm

Project symbol

YEM/10/01/SFD

Admin unit

RO-Arab States/DWT-Beirut

Start date

20/03/2010

End date

31/07/2017

Total allocation

160333

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

135016

Development Partners

Social Fund for Development, Yemen

Country/Countries

Yemen

Outcomes

Promoting sustainable enterprises