New DFID/Islamic Development Bank Initiative
This initiative is to empower women economically in Egypt, Jordan and the OPTs
IDB President Dr Ahmed Mohammed Ali and Rt. Hon Desmond Swayne MP sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch the Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund (AWEF)
Arab Women’s Enterprise Fund (AWEF) aims to empower poor women, increasing their income and well-being and ultimately improving their livelihoods and growth opportunities. The programme will do this by increasing their participation in markets through working with market actors to encourage the adoption of new practices and also by addressing constraints in the enabling environment. AWEF is a £10 million market development programme that will work in Egypt, Jordan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). DFID will work in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) who will contribute an additional £10 million in sharia-compliant concessionary finance through financial intermediaries. The tender for DFID’s half of the programme has now been published and can be viewed using the following link.
We need a supplier with a wide range of skills and expertise to effectively deliver this programme, therefore, we are encouraging potential applicants to consider forming consortia at an early stage. To give local suppliers the opportunity to meet international partners we are planning to hold a networking event in Jordan and the OPTs. Look out for further information shortly via the DFID Supplier Portal. If you are interested in attending please let us know. Also our new Google Site “AWEF Supplier Networking” is now live and ready for you to start using please let us know if you would like join.