All posts by : İNGEV

An important threshold was crossed by the “Development of Access to Livelihoods for Persons with Disabilities” project, carried out by INGEV in cooperation with Relief International and with support from PRM. Within the scope of the plan to reach Syrian and Turkish disabled individuals   in Istanbul, who are actively seeking jobs, training on “MS Office Usage” has been conducted in August, as well as “Call Center” workshops in September. In addition, prospective entrepreneurs have begun to take steps to establish their companies to achieve reliable employment and stability. In the coming months, INGEV envisages to increase the number of disabled entrepreneurs who will contribute to production in Turkey and act as models for prospective entrepreneurs throughout the forthcoming training.

INGEV 1^st d-FAIR for Women’s Clothing and Footwear took place on September 12-15 with eager participation from more than 20 countries. Organized to support the business recovery of Syrian SMEs and lend impetus to social cohesion in addition to financial integration, the virtual fair was one of of its kind.

INGEV new perspective has actualized a pioneering practice that allows SMEs to reach out to international markets, as they position their brands, develop products, renew their visibility and adapt to the digital world instead of traditional matchmaking, training and networking activities, which are gradually decreasing amid the pandemic. INGEV also aims to improve the capacity of Syrian vulnerable   SMEs and develop their contribution to local economy, while enabling export through innovative platforms like the virtual fair.

During the event, 800 business cards, amongst which were international buyers, were exchanged with 39 Syrian SME. Meanwhile, the visuals and catalogues produced by INGEV in three languages were visited 2,100 times, presenting an opportunity for new ventures and purchase possibilities.

20 international speakers from UNDP, TÜRKONFED, EBRD, DEİK, Mavi Jeans and Metro Toptan conversed with the exhibitors and guests at the virtual fair about activities in the form of panels. 2,500 people registered for the virtual fair, of which 68% were from abroad. As the virtual fair rolled adverts of SMEs were watched by 12 million people in 20 countries.

Click for Fair Panels:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxrhxRvSJoM&list=PLoRybKHcWWOcSngNw6qY2C0-nbujVesQ_

Aimed at implementing trade chamber transactions and work permit applications for refugee entrepreneurs, in a blockchain-based platform, the digital identity pilot project has been successfully completed with the cooperation of Dutch technology company Tykn, UNDP and INGEV.

INGEV marked the 2^nd year of the “Business Development Mentorship” project in cooperation with the EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development). With the kick-off meeting held on September 10, mentors met beneficiaries with whom they will work during 4 months, while the latter were introduced to the services, they will receive throughout the project duration.

Bringing together Syrian SMEs from different sectors and leading mentors who are sectorial experts, the project aims to orient   28 Syrian companies to new business networks. The project also supports Syrian SMEs in developing their marketing, business development and sales capacities. The most important advancement in the second year is that INGEV included female Syrian business owners in the project as mentees.

Another essential step is to feature SMEs’ potential in their respective fields and expand their operations through innovative ideas. INGEV innovative approach within mentorship concentrate on boosting turnover and sales, paving the way for branding, an empowered market positioning, enhancing distribution systems and broadening the ecosystem through new-sales goals.

INGEV designed and carried out a research to gauge the level of social cohesion in Mardin. Mardin has hosted communities from different religions, languages, and cultures throughout history. As such, the fabric and multi-culturalism of the city contributes to higher social cohesion between local people and refugees. Social cohesion between the host and refugee communities was investigated with respect to various aspects of cohesion such as personal distress variables, and intergroup contact variables. The data collection involved face-to-face interviews with the host community and refugees and in-depth interviews with key informants such as representatives from NGOs and public institutions in Mardin. The research provided recommendations on strategies to further strengthen social integration and cohesion in the city. The findings can also serve as a model for social cohesion activities to be held in other regions around Turkey and world in general.

Entrepreneurship support gained momentum despite the Pandemic in the last quarter thanks to the support of UNDP and other program partners.

INGEV has witnessed a particular increase in work permit issuance, reaching 600 applications. INGEV has also managed to facilitate establishment of 14 new companies.

Within the scope of the project, 76 entrepreneurs have opened their companies so far, 28 of which registered Limited Liability Companies with a total capital of TRY 3.065.000.

INGEV consultants supported more than 100 entrepreneurs by focusing especially on digitalization as remote work, online sales and marketing became essential for Syrian SMEs during the pandemic. Additionally, a new Project in cooperation with UNDP has been launched in September 20’ that will aim to provide comprehensive support to Syrian SMEs in Turkey including digital infrastructure and cash grants, digitalization trainings and hands-on digital marketing support.