Start-ups invited to apply to ‘Accelerate with JEDCO’ programme

AMMAN — The Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO) announced on Sunday the first invitation for entrepreneurs and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to join the “Accelerate with JEDCO” programme. 

The 2.6 million euro programme is financed by the G-7 Deauville Partnership – MENA Transition Fund, through the EIB Facility for the Mediterranean Investment and Partnership to support JEDCO.

JEDCO CEO Hana Uraidi invited small Jordanian enterprises and high growth start-ups to apply to join the new programme designed to support accelerated growth in businesses with the ambition, capacity, capability and opportunity for growth.

“The programme represents a major change in JEDCO policy regarding business support with a move away from the disbursement of grants to a more targeted and tailored approach to meet  the individual needs of growing SMEs in Jordan,” a JEDCO statement said. 

“Accelerate with JEDCO” will provide “a comprehensive business diagnostic” to help owners and CEOs identify the barriers to growth. 

This will lead to business coaching support to develop and implement their strategic growth plans and more effectively overcome these barriers, the statement said.

JEDCO has trained a group of key senior staff in the UK as “business growth managers” to facilitate the programme.

If an SME is accepted into the programme, the business growth manager will invite the senior management of the business to complete a diagnostic assessment to help them understand the need for change.

“Today’s invitation is a call to all SMEs [that] wish to benefit from this specialised programme and contribute to the development and growth of the Jordanian economy through their own growth in profit, employment numbers and new product development,” the statement quoted Uraidi as saying.