What is the project about?

Overall objective of the project is to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for Syrians and host communities and to build institutional capacities for increased job opportunities in local economies affected by the Syria crisis. The project activities cover fostering enterprise development and inclusive business initiatives to employ Syrians and host community members and to develop institutional capacity of Şanlıurfa Technopark in business development services. This project is a joint programme of UNDP, FAO and UNHCR. It is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry with the technical support of UNDP Turkey and funded by the Government of Japan.

The project is primarily focusing on supporting institutional infrastructure of local institutions and fostering entreprise development in a sustainable manner. Local business growth and labour absorption of local economies affected by the Syria crisis will be enhanced through this project. One of the objectives of the project is to develop the capacity of Şanlıurfa Technopark, which stands as one of the rare agriculture-based technoparks. The other objective focuses on enterprise support programme for increased job opportunities, this objective is targeted (i) to provide business development and mentorship support for the enterprises; (ii) to provide support to start-ups/business initiatives to conceptualize their business ideas and to access financial supports, (iii)  as well as delivery of on-the-job-trainings and development of inclusive business and supply chain relations.

What has been the situation?

Turkey is currently the country with the highest number of refugees in the world; hosting more than 3,6 million registered Syrians under temporary protection (as of April 2019). The Government of Turkey (GoT) provides a rights-based legal framework through the Temporary Protection Regulation (TPR), which offers access to education, health care, employment and social security to refugees and stateless persons from Syria. The GoT further strengthened its protection regime in January 2016 with the Regulation on Work Permit of Refugees under Temporary Protection granting all beneficiaries of the TPR (namely refugees and stateless persons from Syria) access to formal employment. The limited availability of employment opportunities, however, continues to pose a considerable challenge in accessing the job market. This is particularly challenging for women.

The challenge of job-matching and lack of placements continue to be pressing issues in particular in the agriculture sector, which absorbs the largest share of the labour force in provinces hosting concentration of refugees. While Syrians have the right to work under the TPR, many of them and employers are unaware of these rights and regulations or how to access the employment. Although more than 20 percent of Syrians have agricultural background and had been engaged in agriculture in Syria before displacement, only 10 percent are currently estimated to be engaged in agriculture or related work.

As the Syrian population increased and expanded, the needs of both Syrian and host communities go beyond humanitarian, and call for longer term, more durable solutions. Therefore, increase in livelihood opportunities and facilitation to job creation turn out to be one of the most pressing needs in the Southeastern Region hosting over 24% of its population being Syrians. This project seeks to facilitate to access of affected populations to decent work opportunities or to formal jobs.

What is our mission?

The project contributes to the overall objective of strengthen the resilience of Syrians living in Turkey and the host communities via increased livelihoods opportunities and strengthened social cohesion. Project will also aim to build long-term international partnerships and networks with model institutions to bring international know-how.

How are we doing this?

The project, in line with UNDP’s global and country specific strategy on inclusive and sustainable growth, focuses on creating sustainable job opportunities for Syrians and host communities. This will be achieved through supporting enterprise development and capacity development of the local institutions working in the field of business development, entrepreneurship and Research and Development (R&D) namely Şanlıurfa Technopark in order to ensure sustainable and replicable outcomes.

Şanlıurfa Technopark will be the key partner for the project to establish a replicable and scalable Business Development Model (BDM) in order to improve the competitiveness of the incumbents and their levels of labour absorption. Through capacity building activities, Şanlıurfa Technopark will be further developed in priority areas by introducing corporate tools for delivering project and business development services. Besides, an incubation/acceleration programme will be designed both for immediate and future implementation. The capacity building activities will be implemented through METU Technopark, which is already acting as the mentor of Şanlıurfa Technopark within the programme of Technology Development Zones Association of Turkey.

Within the scope of the Project, the existing enterprises will be supported through tailor-made business development services. This will be achieved through supporting Research and Development (R&D) projects of the incumbent enterprises while contributing to piloting a BDM that can be replicated and scaled up for job creation in a sustainable manner with the ownership of the Şanlıurfa Technopark established in cooperation with Harran University to support entrepreneurship and R&D projects. The BDM will also be available for other enterprises to be identified for value chain development to create sustainable job opportunities in Şanlıurfa and its economic geography.

A Mentorship Support Programme will be developed, and through this programme, selected enterprises will be matched with the mentors who will provide professional advice and guidance on enterprise specific challenges as well as provide network that will be benefitted for marketing and supply chain operations.

How will Turkey benefit?

Project activities on institutional and individual level capacity development, entrepreneurship support, inclusive business and early stage enterprises development will mainly support the mechanisms for job creation, employment and entrepreneurship for the benefit of Syrians and host community members as disadvantaged groups affected by the impacts of the Syria Crisis.