Small and Micro Enterprises

Mozambique / Maratane Refugee Camp / UNHCR has initiated a programme to improve self-sufficiency of refugees, including providing chickens to refugees to improve incomes. The scheme operates like a micro-finance scheme, with the beneficiaries repaying the investment, which is then extended to new beneficiaries. / UNHCR / J. Redden / 29 November 2006

Over 95 per cent of the world's businesses are small, medium or micro-sized enterprises. They provide tremendous opportunities for driving economic growth, income and employment opportunities. Refugees can also benefit, having previously been business owners in their home countries or hoping to become business owners in their country of asylum.

At UNHCR, we are committed to helping refugee entrepreneurs and business owners to develop new livelihoods or re-start enterprises in their countries of displacement. To match their skills to market opportunities, we conduct vocational training in a number of areas.

Through entrepreneurial training, our teams provide refugees with essential skills such as business plan development, money management, pricing and marketing.

UNHCR partners with local, national and international organizations, training institutes, government institutions and other UN agencies to provide this type of training. For example, in association with the Marketplace Literacy Project at the University of Illinois, we provide training designed to teach low-literate refugees how to better navigate marketplaces. This includes bargaining, verbally counting money, judging products by look and use, and estimating credit-worthiness of customers.

Start-Up Grants

When building businesses, many refugees are provided with start-up grants. These grants are intended for those who would not qualify for loans, or where access to financial services is limited. The grant may be in the form of a productive asset for their business, or cash that the refugee can use to purchase start-up equipment and materials. Grants are only provided to refugees who have developed viable business plans which have been approved by technical reviewers.

Financial inclusion

Access to affordable financial services is essential for refugees to start, build, sustain and expand enterprises, and their livelihoods. We work with Financial Service Providers (FSPs), such as banks and microfinance institutions, to offer access to savings, loans, and other financial products.