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Ammon News - As part of its commitment to enhance the capacity of micro and small enterprises in Jordan, The Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity (Iqlaa), through one of its implementation partners - Migrate, launched its micro-franchising initiative.

Aiming to support businesses operating in Jordan to expand on a national level, the initiative will provide enterprises with required business knowledge and tools to develop and manage micro-franchising business opportunities.

The initiative was launched by signing the first three micro-franchising development support agreements with Save the Children’s Curio Preschool, Washy Wash and HypoFarm.

Laith Al-Qasem, Iqlaa’s Chief of Party, emphasized the importance of bringing businesses and delivering services to local communities. He said, “Since we started, Iqlaa – led by Mercy Corps – has been working collectively with its partners to facilitate better access to the market. This initiative would help scale up impact by encouraging innovation, engaging more players in the market, and ensuring access to crucial resources and markets”.

He added, “Unlike traditional franchising models, micro-franchising runs at lower fees and can be profitable in low-income markets. With reduced risk, micro-franchises can provide job opportunities within local communities and motivate individuals to launch their own businesses and develop new business competencies.”

Commenting on this initiative, Migrate’s Chief Executive Officer, Nader Nemeh, clarified that the selected participants will receive business advisory and training over a period of six months. He added, “We will be working with the participating enterprises to design their micro-franchise models, tailor operational manuals and toolkits, and build their capacity and readiness. Soon after, we expect these enterprises to grow by applying the micro-franchising model more broadly.”

The participating enterprises expressed excitement about the new initiative. Diala Khamra, CEO of Save the Children Jordan said, “Curio Preschool will dedicate part of its proceeds to support women entrepreneurs establish affordable and accessible community-based "Fudulio" preschools. Through this initiative, micro-franchisees will operate small-scale preschools using Curio's curriculum, educational resources, and management standards.”

Meanwhile, Mazen Darwish, co-founder and CEO of Washy Wash, said, “Under this initiative, micro-franchisees will operate small-scale car detailing and furniture cleaning businesses using our brand, technology, and support systems”.

Al-Muthana Al-Muhisen, founder of HypoFarm also commented on this opportunity saying, “Our micro-franchisees will be running farming activities such as cultivation, harvesting, and selling agricultural produce guided by the training and support we provide. The main goal is to promote sustainable farming practices and optimal productivity.”

Iqlaa’s micro-franchising initiative will serve more participating enterprises in the future, which aligns with the program’s objectives to facilitate wider access to market and business opportunities across Jordan.

The Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity (Iqlaa) is a five-year program that started in 2022 and aims to support Jordan's home-based, micro and small businesses to grow, transform, and become resilient to future shocks.