Increase the resilience and access to livelihood opportunities for vulnerable communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic The proposed project is under Envelope2 in this allocation regarding the targeted locations and the type of activities. The project targets two locations Azaz and Idleb subdistricts which are classified as underserved areas.
The project was included as one of POINT plans in the HPC tool with the code (HSYR21-ERY-178915-1) and it complements POINT’s current projects in northern Aleppo and Idleb city which aim to support livelihood creation.
To plan this project, POINT started consultation with the local councils in the targeted locations and held an FGD with each of them (report attached)
The project has 3 components included as 3 outputs in this proposal and all of them are solely ERL and aims to enhance access to livelihood opportunities and increase the resilience of conflict-affected and vulnerable households and communities.
The first component is market rehabilitation in Idleb city which was prioritized during the FGD held with the LC and local community representatives, the market is public property and belongs to the LC. The rehabilitation will cover market shops (18 shops) and all supporting facilities, infrastructures and access roads (rough BOQ attached). It’s worth mentioning that POINT has good experience in rehabilitation and worked in several rehabilitation work like: market and road rehabilitation with UNDP, light and heavy rehabilitation activities in 40 camps with IOM in NWS.
The mentioned market will be used during the project period to serve the project beneficiaries and after that, it will be handed over to the LC according to a handover plan
The second component is vocational training in Idleb and Azaz targeting 160 participants with a specific focus on the most vulnerable persons according to eligibility and vulnerability criteria with giving priorities to higher vulnerability scores and women-headed HHs and PWDs
This will start with a second phase of market mapping to identify market gaps and needs according to which the VT training topics and domains will be identified, then POINT will announce for the VT and will conduct advocacy and community sensitization activities that aim to engage the communities, explaining the merits of the intervention and the idea of SMEs, raising awareness of the importance of sustaining small businesses, and communicating the selection criteria in order to reduce the risk of tensions among communities
After that, the selected beneficiaries will be verified and then will be invited to join the VT which will target 160 persons (80 in Idleb and 80 in Azaz) and last for two and a half months on topics that will be identified according to the market mapping with giving priorities to unique and least available vocations in the market
The third component in the SME program and grants: POINT will work according to its developed sub-grants SOP and mechanism which was approved by ERL cluster and SCHF in previous projects
After finishing the VT, Point will announce for SME program and will select participants according to a set of eligibility and vulnerability criteria and then will deliver 15 SME training of five days each for 300 selected applicants. This announcement and selection will be open to all people who already have business ideas, knowledge and experience to perform this idea with giving priority to join for the VT participants who successfully finished their training.  During this SMEs training, the participants will learn about basis of business establishment, marketing financial study, feasibility, competition evaluation
After that, each participant will submit a business plan which will be evaluated by a formed committee for this purpose.
Best 150 business plan with the highest scores will be supported with cash grants of 1200$ to be paid on three tranches with mentoring and coaching till the end of the project
At the end, end line evaluation will take place to evaluate the improvement in beneficiaries' lives after the grant and establish their businesses