The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Confederation of Turkish Tradespeople and Craftspeople (TESK) and with funding from the Government of France, is introducing a new assistance program to ensure the continuity of businesses in regions most impacted by the earthquakes in February 2023. The initiative targets providing support to businesses and entrepreneurs owned by women and individuals with disabilities, with up to 10 employees, in the earthquake-affected provinces. This support will be in the form of grants and shared spaces to enhance economic resilience and inclusivity in the region.
Key sectors prioritized for support include innovative products, machinery manufacturing, rehabilitation services, textiles, agriculture, and local crafts. Financial assistance will be provided in two categories: the first category aims to support small businesses owned by women and individuals with disabilities through grants, while the second category focuses on creating shared facilities for small-scale producers. The financial support ranges from 50,000 TL to 200,000 TL for the first category and from 500,000 TL to 7,000,000 TL for the second category.
Projects must be designed to run for a minimum of one month and a maximum of 12 months, starting between March 1, 2025, and ending by February 28, 2026. The geographic focus of the program is on the provinces of Adıyaman, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, and Malatya, which were severely affected by the earthquakes.
Eligibility criteria vary for the two funding categories. For Category 1, businesses must be owned by women or individuals with disabilities, established before September 30, 2024, and located in the specified provinces. Employers must be registered with the relevant trade chambers and employ between 1 and 10 individuals. For Category 2, unions and chambers related to priority sectors in the specified provinces can apply, with requirements related to project authority and financial management.
For additional details and to apply, visit the UNDP website before the deadline of November 30, 2024.
Source: fundsforcompanies.fundsforngos.org…
