The Ministry of Youth, Jordan River Foundation and UNICEF to Back 11 Startups in the "Jordan Innovate” Programme

8 February 2024, Amman – The Ministry of Youth, in partnership with Jordan River Foundation and UNICEF, launched today 11 youth-led winning entrepreneurial projects as part of the sixth cohort of the ‘Urdon Mubtaker’ (Jordan Innovate) programme.

The Minister of Youth, Muhammad Al-Nabulsi, UNICEF Representative to Jordan, Philippe Duamelle, and the Director General of the Jordan River Foundation, Enaam Barrishi, participated in the ceremony at the Jordan River Designs Showroom.

The Urdon Mubtaker Programme, which was launched in 2018, aims to empower and enhance the entrepreneurial skills of young men and women, enabling them to implement innovative projects designed to provide technological and environmental solutions to local challenges in their communities.

This programme’s sixth cohort concluded with the selection of 11 winning projects from a pool of over 400 participants in the Urdon Mubtakar programme.  The qualified projects underwent feasibility studies and participated in entrepreneurship and social innovation training leading to financial and technical support (including a bootcamp, mentorship and up to JOD 2,000 in funding).

This year's winning projects focus on urgent societal and environmental issues, spanning from creating green spaces to pioneering recycling solutions and cutting-edge technological innovations, including mobile applications and electronic platforms.

In partnership with the Ministry of Youth and UNICEF, and with the support of the Prospects partnership from the Government of the Netherlands, the Jordan River Foundation implements the Urdon Mubtakar programme as part of a broader Social Innovation Programme. The programme aims to foster an entrepreneurial culture among young people, with an overarching goal to empower the most vulnerable by building and developing their transferable and entrepreneurial skills. This allows them to become active citizens and contribute to their communities, which in turn advances the Sustainable Development Goals.

At the conclusion of the event, Al-Nabulsi emphasized the Ministry's commitment to bolstering youth engagement within the entrepreneurial landscape—a pivotal focus reflected in the pillars of the National Youth Strategy.

These pillars encompass youth, entrepreneurship, creativity, education, and technology, which serve as guiding principles for various initiatives such as national entrepreneurial forums and business incubators. Al-Nabulsi further highlighted the Ministry's proactive measures to incentivize youth towards entrepreneurship, notably through the expansion of innovation and creativity incubators across all governorates of the Kingdom within the year.

Expressing gratitude for the partnership with the Jordan River Foundation and UNICEF, Al-Nabulsi underscored the significance of implementing creativity and innovation incubator programmes. Such initiatives not only support youth entrepreneurial endeavors but also facilitate the translation of innovative ideas into tangible projects.

UNICEF Representative to Jordan, Philippe Duamelle, said: “UNICEF is proud to support the 'Jordan Innovate' programme and looks forward to seeing the young people who have been recognized today develop their innovation to the next level towards sustainable initiatives. Through the partnership between UNICEF, the Ministry of Youth and the Jordan River Foundation, we will continue efforts to help nurture an entrepreneurial mindset in Jordan’s youth and equip them with the tools they need to succeed.”

“Today's signing ceremony is part of our continuous efforts to help youth tap into their potential as entrepreneurs and social innovators; a vision we have been able to pursue through our partnership with UNICEF and the Ministry of Youth," noted JRF's Director General Enaam Barrishi.