Jordan Jumpstart

Program Goal

Reach and capture data on 300 of the most growth focused SMEs overall.

Provide 7-10 SME Workshops throughout the Country with the goal of:

75% increase in basic business knowledge especially in targeted inclusion areas.
For 30% of SMEs adopt SEAF SDG Inclusion Scorecard after 2 years.

Evaluate and screen in detail 100 SMEs with an investment lens.

Support & provide content to 200 SMEs with technical assistance, which includes:

Basic business skills (Governance, HR, Marketing Business Development etc).
Job opportunities for women, youth and underserved populations.
Business Sustainability in a Post-Covid World.
Ability to access funding; financial literacy.

Make 2-3 investments in SMEs via the Jumpstart Fund to be launched by:

Seeking out partners and investors that will invest in the Jumpstart Fund, which will make these investments and will serve as the foundation for a larger fund.
Create 70-100 jobs through the first three investments with 60-90 jobs for women and youth.

Program Thesis

The purpose of the Project is to catalyze the establishment of a fund to provide financing for a broad range of Jordanian SMEs, with a particular focus on providing economic opportunities to women, youth, and people with disabilities in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

In investment terms we plan to use a primarily fixed income-plus-kicker approach originated by SEAF elsewhere, which allows for flexibility in structuring the financial instruments to fit the specific expected requirements of the portfolio companies, aligning the financial instrument more closely to expected performance. We also believe it will be important to offer investee companies some similar Islamic financial structures as well, especially in the provinces.

The Project proposes three major activities:

Technical assistance to SMEs to increase their entrepreneurial skill, investment readiness, and use of inclusion practices across a number of workshops with Jordanian SMEs, as well as customized TA for selected investment-ready SME candidates.

Creation of an extensive pipeline of potentially investable SMEs as well as design and refinement of the investment instruments and processes used to invest in these SMEs, with actual investments in several through the Jumpstart Pre-close Facility (the "Jumpstart Facility").

Development, structuring, and marketing work targeted at the launch of a larger SEAF Jordan Growth and Impact Fund (the "Jordan Fund”), which would incorporate the initial Jumpstart Facility portfolio and proceed on a much larger scale.

The development of a fund structure coupled with skills upgrading and TA that together widen the scope for financial investment and business partnering to generate sustainable employment in a broad range of regions with similar characteristics to Jordan. SEAF therefore expects that this Grant will develop a useful and replicable model, which it or other SME investors may put to use elsewhere, hopefully in partnership with GAC. Therefore we will be especially mindful of modular and repeatable aspects of this project (and modifications based on lessons learned) and how they can be documented for further use.

Target Regions

The program targets all 12 governates of Jordan, namely:

Amman (the capital), Irbid, Zarqa, Mafraq, Ajloun, Jerash, Madaba, Balqa, Karak, Tafileh, Maan and Aqaba.

SEAF Global Team & Experience

SEAF is a global impact private equity manager achieving meaningful and measurable impact results and positive financial returns by providing entrepreneurs in emerging markets with the capital, knowledge, and networks they need to grow their businesses. Since 1989, SEAF has invested in more than 450 companies in 27 countries and has over 300 exits.

Years of investing growth capital in Markets

$1B⁺

Billion USD Cumulative Committed Capital Emerging

Funds structured & managed

30⁺

Country & representative offices

150⁺

Global Professionals