The programme partnered with membership-based organizations  to support business development. It has provided technical guidance and support in the development of the National Formalization Strategy and used this as an entry point to roll our BDS at scale. Alongside tools like Start and Improve your Business (SIYB) and Get Ahead, PROSPECTS developed and rolled out the Digitalize your Business (DYB) training tool as a complementary module to the Start and Improve your Business (SIYB) package for micro and small enterprises, including those run by refugees. These were accompanied by wider avenues for post training support, including referral into further skills training, financial education and links to seed grants run by other PROSPECTS partners. Find out more in the case study.

Inspired by the model in Uganda, BDS providers in Ethiopia formed an association/network of certified SIYB and GET Ahead trainers to better organize and respond to training requests, expanding the reach of ILO-certified training. Jigjiga University’s Business Incubation Centre incorporated SIYB and GET Ahead as part of its training offerings. Since establishment in 2024, the Centre runs independently using the University’s own human and financial resources. BDS trainings were often accompanied by business plan competitions, where seed funding and links to further training and loan products were made based on business plans that trained entrepreneurs put forward. A Youth-to-Youth Fund has also been used to support youth-led organizations as local providers of entrepreneurship training, vocational training and access to finance for other young people, including refugees. Read this success story of an ILO Business Plan Competition winner.

PROSPECTS collaborated with local BDS providers and financial institutions- including banks and MFIs- to train their staff on SIYB and Financial Education. This strengthened their ability to assess MSME clients more effectively, improve loan portfolio quality, and develop more tailored and appealing financial products aligned with the needs of the Iraqi market, ultimately enhancing financial inclusion. In addition, PROSPECTS partnered with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA) to train staff in SIYB and support the expansion of SIYB through MOLSA's vocational training centres across 15 governorates. The programme linked BDS training with access to financial services (specifically, loans provided after training) and provided financial education in partnership with the Central Bank and the Iraq Company for Bank Guarantees (ICBG). It worked with the Iraqi Federation of Industries (IFI) to analyse informality trends and drivers behind MSME's informality, ultimately informing a pilot initiative to register MSMEs and generate evidence for policy proposals.

The programme built on a long standing partnership with the Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) and expanded its services to MSMEs in sectors employing and serving refugees. This involved training JCI staff as SCORE trainers and working towards institutionalizing the methodology within the Chamber. It also worked with the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation and Development and Employment Fund (JEDCO), as well as four microfinance institutions, to capacitate a cadre of SIYB trainers. 

The Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) in Kenya formalized a partnership to adopt GET Ahead for use across the country, targeting women enterprises for business and financial skills training. “Embracing Digital,” a localized form of DYB, was also used through the Turkana Chamber of Commerce business support desk. The Chambers in Garissa and Turkana provide mentoring and on-site coaching in branding, pricing, record-keeping, and digital marketing for local businesses. PROSPECTS also incorporated SIYB training to build the capacity of entrepreneurs engaged in the Prosopis value chain. 

PROSPECTS focused on Lebanon’s agriculture sector, partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) to develop and pilot an Improve Your Agriculture Business (IYAB) training guide for farmers and input suppliers. Amid multiple economic crises, the programme shifted its focus from business start-ups to supporting business continuity and resilience. The programme team developed a training and coaching programme around business continuity and resilience, to help business owners maintain operations and avoid laying off workers. Read more about Lebanon’s My First Business entrepreneurship training programme.

PROSPECTS in Uganda partnered with membership-based organizations like the Federation of MSMEs and the Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited (UWEAL) to expand the ILO's SIYB and GET Ahead training in refugee-hosting areas. The programme adapted training materials in partnership with a refugee-led organization, Unleashed, to combine entrepreneurship with support for youth employment in Uganda, and integrated SIYB with UNICEF's i-UPSHIFT. PROSPECTS also invested in training and certifying refugee trainers, supporting the expansion of the Business Development Service Providers’ Network (BDSPN). It adapted the DYB model locally, as "Embracing Digital in Uganda," training 20 trainers locally. One DYB trainer from the RYLO Unleashes created this video, sharing the experience in Uganda. 

Learning from the programme in Uganda, PROSPECTS in Sudan contextualized the I-UPSHIFT programme to engage young people in the process of identifying community challenges and co-creating solutions that can be addressed through microenterprises or social solidarity initiatives. Among trained trainers were representatives from the Ministry of Human resources and Social Welfare and State Ministry of Youth.