Deadline: 16-Jun-2026
The World Food Programme (WFP) is inviting Expressions of Interest to implement the Economic Empowerment Pathways (EEP) Pilot in Iraq, a programme designed to strengthen economic inclusion, livelihoods, and self-reliance among Social Safety Net beneficiaries. The initiative targets 1,500 vulnerable households in Taji district, with a focus on women, youth, and female-headed households.
The pilot combines skills training, entrepreneurship support, productive asset transfers, coaching, and market linkages to help beneficiaries transition from cash assistance dependency to sustainable income generation. Implemented under an EU-funded UN Joint Programme with UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO), the project runs from June 2026 to June 2028 and includes a strong focus on evidence generation and policy reform for national scale-up.
Overview
The Economic Empowerment Pathways (EEP) Pilot in Iraq is a strategic initiative led by the World Food Programme (WFP) to transform the country’s Social Safety Net (SSN) from a purely cash-based assistance system into an integrated model that promotes livelihoods and economic self-reliance.
The programme is implemented in collaboration with UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO) under an EU-funded United Nations Joint Programme. It is also supported by the WFP Changing Lives Transformation Fund, which focuses on innovative approaches to poverty reduction and resilience building.
The pilot will operate in Taji district and target 1,500 SSN beneficiary households, aiming to strengthen their economic participation through structured training, asset support, and market integration.
Objectives
The EEP Pilot aims to:
- Strengthen economic inclusion of Social Safety Net beneficiaries.
- Support transition from cash assistance to sustainable livelihoods.
- Enhance government capacity to design and manage integrated economic empowerment systems.
- Promote self-employment and entrepreneurship among vulnerable households.
- Improve household income diversification.
- Build evidence for national policy development and programme scale-up.
- Strengthen coordination between social protection and employment systems.
- Support women’s and youth economic participation.
Focus Areas
The programme is structured around key thematic pillars that support inclusive economic transformation.
Key focus areas include:
- Livelihood development and income generation.
- Economic empowerment pathways for vulnerable groups.
- Technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
- Entrepreneurship and microenterprise development.
- Social protection system strengthening.
- Social policy reform and advocacy.
- Market access and private sector linkages.
- Skills development and employability.
- Gender-responsive economic inclusion.
- Youth economic participation and employment opportunities.
Understanding Iraq’s Social Safety Net Transformation
Iraq’s Social Safety Net, managed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs through the Social Protection Authority, currently supports approximately 1.5 million households.
Historically, the SSN has functioned primarily as a cash transfer system focused on consumption support. The EEP Pilot aims to transform this model by integrating economic empowerment interventions that enable beneficiaries to:
- Build sustainable livelihoods.
- Develop income-generating activities.
- Access employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
- Reduce long-term dependency on cash assistance.
- Strengthen resilience to economic shocks.
This shift represents a transition toward a more holistic social protection system combining assistance with activation and economic inclusion.
Target Group
The pilot will directly support:
- 1,500 households enrolled in Iraq’s Social Safety Net.
- Beneficiaries located in Taji district.
- Female-headed households.
- Women participants.
- Youth participants who opt into the programme.
Participants will continue receiving cash assistance while engaging in economic empowerment activities, ensuring income security during transition.
Eligible Activities
The consulting partner selected for implementation will carry out a wide range of activities, including:
- Development of implementation plans and operational frameworks.
- Creation of standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Design of training curricula and training packages.
- Capacity-building for government institutions.
- Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes.
- Beneficiary registration and onboarding.
- Entrepreneurship and skills training delivery.
- Distribution and management of productive assets.
- Coaching and mentorship for microenterprise development.
- Facilitation of business fairs and market linkages.
- Referral to government services and support programmes.
- Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems development.
- Continuous institutional capacity strengthening.
These activities aim to ensure both individual livelihood improvements and systemic institutional strengthening.
Implementation Approach
The pilot is implemented in multiple structured phases:
- Outreach and beneficiary identification.
- Registration and onboarding of participants.
- Skills development and entrepreneurship training.
- Distribution of productive assets and start-up support.
- Coaching, mentorship, and business development support.
- Market linkage facilitation and business fairs.
- Monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive learning.
Each phase is designed to progressively move beneficiaries toward sustainable income generation and economic independence.
Funding and Programme Framework
The initiative is funded under:
- An EU-funded United Nations Joint Programme.
- Implementation partnerships with UNICEF and ILO.
- WFP Changing Lives Transformation Fund.
The programme does not only focus on direct service delivery but also on strengthening government systems for long-term sustainability and scalability.
Expected Outcomes
The Economic Empowerment Pathways Pilot aims to achieve:
- Increased household income among SSN beneficiaries.
- Improved self-employment and microenterprise creation.
- Enhanced skills and employability of participants.
- Stronger integration of vulnerable groups into local markets.
- Improved government capacity for economic inclusion programming.
- Evidence-based policy development for national scale-up.
- Reduced dependency on long-term cash assistance.
- Strengthened linkages between social protection and labour markets.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
A strong evidence-generation framework is embedded in the programme.
Key components include:
- Continuous monitoring of implementation progress.
- Evaluation of participant outcomes and income changes.
- Research on effectiveness of economic empowerment interventions.
- Data collection for policy formulation.
- Learning systems to refine programme delivery.
- Documentation of best practices for scale-up.
Findings will inform both national policy and future programme design across Iraq.
Why This Programme Matters
The EEP Pilot addresses a critical gap in traditional social protection systems by moving beyond cash assistance toward sustainable livelihoods.
It is important because it:
- Supports long-term poverty reduction strategies.
- Enhances resilience of vulnerable households.
- Promotes gender-inclusive economic empowerment.
- Strengthens national social protection systems.
- Encourages sustainable income generation instead of dependency.
- Integrates humanitarian assistance with development outcomes.
- Builds evidence for scalable national reform.
This approach aligns with global shifts toward adaptive social protection systems that combine safety nets with economic opportunity creation.
Who Should Implement?
The consulting partner should demonstrate expertise in:
- Social protection programming.
- Livelihoods and economic inclusion.
- TVET and skills development.
- Entrepreneurship and MSME support.
- Government capacity strengthening.
- Monitoring and evaluation systems.
- Market systems development.
- Large-scale programme implementation in fragile contexts.
Strong experience working with vulnerable populations, particularly women and youth, is highly desirable.
How the Programme Works
Step 1: System Design and Planning
Development of implementation frameworks, SOPs, and training materials.
Step 2: Capacity Building
Training of government officials and implementing partners.
Step 3: Beneficiary Engagement
Registration and onboarding of 1,500 households.
Step 4: Skills and Entrepreneurship Training
Delivery of structured training programmes.
Step 5: Asset Transfer and Business Support
Provision of productive assets and business setup support.
Step 6: Coaching and Market Linkages
Ongoing mentorship and integration into markets.
Step 7: Monitoring and Evaluation
Continuous tracking, learning, and reporting.
Tips for Applicants
- Demonstrate strong experience in livelihoods programming.
- Include proven models for entrepreneurship development.
- Show expertise in social protection systems.
- Prioritize gender-sensitive and youth-inclusive approaches.
- Present strong monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
- Highlight experience in government capacity building.
- Include scalable and replicable intervention designs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating the programme as only a training intervention.
- Weak integration of market systems and employment pathways.
- Lack of gender-responsive programming.
- Insufficient focus on government capacity strengthening.
- Poorly defined monitoring and learning systems.
- Overlooking sustainability and scale-up potential.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the EEP Pilot in Iraq?
It is a World Food Programme initiative aimed at integrating economic empowerment into Iraq’s Social Safety Net system to promote livelihoods and self-reliance.
Who benefits from the programme?
1,500 Social Safety Net households in Taji district, particularly women, youth, and female-headed households.
What support do participants receive?
Skills training, entrepreneurship support, productive assets, coaching, mentorship, and market linkages.
What is the main goal of the pilot?
To transition beneficiaries from cash assistance dependency toward sustainable livelihoods and economic independence.
How long will the programme run?
From June 2026 to June 2028.
What is the role of the implementing partner?
To design, implement, and manage the programme, including training, asset distribution, coaching, and government capacity strengthening.
Why is this programme important?
It strengthens social protection systems by linking cash assistance with sustainable economic opportunities and long-term resilience building.
Conclusion
The WFP Economic Empowerment Pathways Pilot in Iraq represents a significant shift in social protection programming by combining cash assistance with structured livelihood support. Through skills development, entrepreneurship training, asset transfers, and system-level strengthening, the initiative aims to build sustainable income pathways for vulnerable households while generating evidence to support national-scale reform of Iraq’s social safety net system.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.