Deadline: 21-November-2025
Its overarching goal is to foster economic self-reliance, create employment opportunities, and strengthen social cohesion between refugee and host populations. The competition promotes collaboration by encouraging joint ventures and cooperative business models that bring both groups together in pursuit of shared prosperity.
The BPC will operate in close coordination with local institutions to ensure that vulnerable groups have sustainable access to financial and non-financial services. Through this approach, it aims to build trust between refugees and local authorities, strengthen institutional networks, and help establish an integrated system for business support and job creation. The initiative will be implemented in several phases, each focusing on a distinct step in transforming ideas into viable and impactful enterprises.
The first phase involves co-designing the BPC concept with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and other key partners. This collaborative process ensures that the competition design, framework and implementation plan are tailored to the local context. Once the framework is finalised, the second phase will focus on launching the competition, raising awareness and supporting potential participants in developing their business ideas. Publicity efforts will include workshops, local events, and outreach campaigns through flyers, posters, radio broadcasts and social media platforms to ensure wide participation.
In the third phase, participants will submit their initial business ideas using a standard template. A jury of experts will review and select around 1,500 project ideas, with clear inclusion targets—at least 40 percent of the selected ideas must involve refugees, and 30 percent must be led by women. Those selected will then receive technical guidance in the fourth phase, where 900 participants will undergo training to develop their business ideas into comprehensive business plans. This includes the International Labour Organization’s “Start Your Business” training and financial literacy sessions adapted for the specific needs of refugees and host communities.
Once the business plans are developed, the fifth phase will focus on evaluation and selection. A jury will review the 900 submissions and select 450 winning business plans based on feasibility, innovation, quality, and potential for job creation. The selection process will maintain inclusivity by ensuring at least 40 percent of the winners include refugees and at least 30 percent are women-led enterprises.
The sixth phase marks the announcement of winners and the distribution of awards. Beyond financial prizes, winners will receive ongoing non-financial support such as coaching, business counselling, and “Improve Your Business” training to strengthen management skills and technical capacity. This integrated approach aims to ensure that beneficiaries not only launch their enterprises but also sustain and grow them effectively.
The final phase will focus on continuous technical support, monitoring and evaluation. The implementing partner will facilitate access to financial services, provide follow-up coaching, and gather data on business performance, job creation and community impact. Regular reporting and documentation of success stories will help identify lessons learned and guide future programming.
Throughout all phases, the implementing partner will serve as the primary liaison for participants, ensuring that all processes run smoothly and that participants receive timely guidance. They will coordinate with financial institutions, local committees and the ILO to manage logistics, communications and problem-solving. By combining financial assistance with training, mentorship and institutional collaboration, the Business Plan Competition seeks to build a resilient ecosystem of entrepreneurship that benefits both refugees and host communities, creating shared pathways toward economic inclusion and sustainable development.
For more information, visit United Nations Global Marketplace.
