Impact Bond: Finance for Jobs (F4J) DIB 1
Also known as: Palestine Youth Employment Project
Stage of development: Complete
Jurisdiction: PS
Policy sector: Employment and training
Social challenge: Youth unemployment in Palestine
Intervention: The First Palestinian Employment DIB (F4J DIB I) aimed to match employment opportunities with suitable employees by purposefully training job seekers in employer-demanded skills. The DIB accepted 1,380 Palestinian job seekers (in West Bank and Gaza) aged 18–29 years (of which 653 were women). Through its local Service Provider organizations (SPs), the DIB provided skills training on specific job types, and created meaningful partnerships with the private sector to ensure sustainability. Those SPs provided training and job placement services to youth, starting in mid 2020, which coincided with the height of Covid-19. The F4J DIB initially focused on employment opportunities in the healthcare sector, as well as jobs in the industrial and construction sector, before expanding into multiple sectors, including ICT, education, funiture and carpentry, business and finance, etc. based on market needs assessment. The DIB succeeded in bridging the gap between academic outputs and the job-specific skills required in the Palestinian labour market to deliver sustainable employment outcomes. The DIB was expanded and scaled twice from $5m to$5.75m then to $6.25m, and started a pilot in Gaza in mid 2023, which was stopped due to the Gaza war in October 2023.
Primary SDG goal: 8
Date outcomes contract signed: 2019-10
Start of service provision: 2020-07
Actual end of service provision: 2024-06
Actual completion date: 2024-06
Actual duration of service provision: 45
Total investment commitment currency: USD
Total investment commitment: 1800000
Total investment commitment (USD): 1800000
Maximum potential outcome payment: 6250000 USD
Maximum potential outcome payment (USD): 6250000
Target population: Unemployed Palestinian job seekers in the West Bank and Gaza
Targeted number of service users or beneficiaries: 1240
Targeted unit type: Individual
Targeted unit description: Unemployed youth, aged 18–29 years, of which at least 30% will be women.
Actual number of service users or beneficiaries engaged: 1380
Actual unit type: Individual
Actual unit description: Unemployed youth, aged 18–29 years, of which at least 47% were women.