Over 480 companies supported and 1,500 jobs created and sustained
Beirut, 10/09/2021 – After 4 years of hard work navigating through a series of challenges and crises, the Lebanon Enterprise and Employment Programme (LEEP) funded by UK aid and implemented by the international consulting firm Palladium concluded on September 9, 2021 during a full-day hybrid event held at the ESA Business School in Clemenceau. The event gathered British Ambassador to Lebanon Ian Collard and representatives of the UK embassy, the Palladium group team, donors, SME beneficiaries and their employees, financial institutions, BDS experts in the field of investment, management and business, as well as INGOS, NGOs and major active players from both the public and private sectors.
LEEP started out matching up to 50% of the value of loans taken from financial institutions or private investments done by SMEs with a growth plan that would create new jobs. The program supported 480 Lebanese SMEs with $6 millions of grants, helping them to create and sustain over 1500 jobs. In the wake of the Beirut Port explosion, LEEP partnered with two NGOs Alfanar and Live Love Lebanon, and provided support to 101 SMEs that were affected by the blast, supporting the sustaining of a further 257 jobs.
Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) was at the heart of the programme, with LEEP promoting the inclusion of women, persons with disabilities (PwDs), ex-convicts and at-risk-youth. In collaboration with two Lebanese NGOs, ProAbled and March, 304 companies were scoped and assessed for the inclusion of vulnerable communities in the workplace. 86 jobs for vulnerable people (including 49 persons with disabilities) were created and 169 employees from different companies were trained on inclusion and equal employment opportunities and standards.
LEEP invested a significant amount of time and effort to understand the key challenges faced by Lebanese MSMEs and what policy solutions could be brought to improve the environment for SMEs. A comprehensive report was published during the LEEP final event as the culmination of more than a year’s worth of work, including sector-based round tables, one-on-one conversations, and a large-scale survey of Lebanese MSMEs owners.
THE LEEP FULL- DAY CLOSING EVENT:
The closing day included a series of activities and sessions that were simultaneously live-streamed online, including several panel discussions and an exhibition of over 30 LEEP beneficiaries who showcased their products and were able to create linkages with donors, buyers and exporters.
The lively morning policy advocacy panel discussion titled “SMEs and the Lebanon Crisis: unleashing entrepreneurship to help recovery” featured Lead Economist at the British Embassy of Beirut, Alex Read; LEEP Team Leader James Carty; Private Sector Specialist, World Bank, Zeina El Khoury; Former Senior Official, Government of Georgia, Irakli Matkava; Wakilni Chief Executive Officer, Yusr Sabra; and Naji Boutros an experienced Chairperson with a demonstrated history of working in the venture capital and private equity industry. Speakers explored the challenges facing MSMEs in Lebanon – both pre-existing and post-crisis – what policy reforms need to be made to address them and what can be done to encourage the government to reform. James Carty, LEEP’s team leader gave a short presentation launching the report, showcasing the findings from their work with MSMEs followed by a discussion of these findings with the audience and a panel drawn from LEEP SME grantees, donors and policy experts. The session concluded with a presentation of a case study on reform in Georgia by Irakli Matkava, former Deputy Minister of Economy, and a discussion about what Lebanon can learn from this experience. Attendees described it as a great opportunity to learn how to reform a highly bureaucratic and corrupt system to transform the business environment for SMEs.
Another panel discussion was organized with LEEP’s partner, ProAbled, on “the benefits of hiring people with disabilities”. It gathered Elie Matta from ProAbled; Eshmoon CEO, Samer Toutounji; Doctor of physical therapy & Instructor at the Lebanese University and Owner of Agonist Coffeeshop, Wassim el-Hage; and Samer Chaar who has extensive experience in operations management, sales, budget development, problem solving and cost control. The panelists discussed “the importance of raising awareness and strengthening more companies’ commitment to hire people with disabilities” by highlighting the benefits and added value of such business-oriented decisions, an example to be emulated by other companies. They also called for “training workshops and consulting services for said companies and their head of recruitment in order to push for more job opportunities for this marginalized segment of the population.” Speakers also highlighted the importance of designating “people with disabilities” as “people of strong will” as they have proved they cannot undergo certain tasks but can indeed carry out a lot of other ones. Add to this, their undeniable efficiency and distinction at work and their positive attitude when interacting with their colleagues. The panel was followed by a live testimonial given by Edy Neaime, one of the programme beneficiaries who demonstrated LEEP’s efforts in empowering people with disabilities and helping them find a suitable job that enables them to sustain their professional career in the wake of the harshness of the current situation.
The last panel discussion tackled ways to “enhance a business enabling-environment for women entrepreneurs and the inclusion of women in the workplace”. It was organized in collaboration with the Lebanese League of Women in Business (LLWB) and gathered Chairman, KConcept Holding, Yasser Akkaoui; Founder of Tassamim, Najah Jarroush; Partner & Country Manager of Saba Intellectual Property, Amal Abdallah; Deputy GM at Berytech, Ramy BouJawdeh; Economist at Institut des Finances Basil Fuleihan & MOF Lebanon, Basma Abdul Khalek; and LLWB Executive Director, Nisreen Deeb. Panellists underlined “the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs whether regarding legislation and bank regulations or the stereotypes they are subject to,” noting that these obstacles have been aggravated after the Beirut port explosion, the coronavirus pandemic and the unfolding of the economic crisis. In the wake of all these upheavals, women have, as expected, been some of the most affected. They were also saddened by the high rates of gender discrimination in Lebanon, which are among the highest in the world. Including women in the business sector has added value on performance and work quality. This is exactly what the LEEP programme has focused on, in its strive to support women and empowering them to reach international markets, in addition to achieving equal opportunities, pay and privileges.
The LEEP final event concluded with the LEEP Official Closing Ceremony during which James Carty, LEEP’s team leader, presented the work done throughout the past 4 years. He then stated: “The UK government designed the LEEP programme to help SMEs, the backbone of the economy, to grow and create jobs in order to provide vital support to Lebanon in these challenging economic times.” He added: “We have had to adapt the programme to meet the successive crises faced by Lebanon and adjust to the changing needs of our beneficiaries. We have continued to support MSMEs since the beginning of the crisis in October 2019, even after financial institutions stopped lending money. We adapted again in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and continued providing support and services through virtual site visits and online BDS sessions to support efforts to reduce transmission. Following the Beirut Port explosion in August of 2020, we adapted yet again to help affected businesses and support them in rebuilding and keeping their employees,” stressing on the fact that “this would not have been possible without the entrepreneurial drive of our grantees and their determination to grow despite difficult circumstances, and without the amazing efforts of all our partners and team members.”
During his intervention, British Ambassador to Lebanon Ian Collard said “It is a difficult time for the LEEP programme to be ending, but I am immensely proud of the programme’s achievements. Over the last 4 years, the LEEP programme has supported over 480 SMEs to grow and create over 1500 jobs. It has also promoted the inclusion of women, at-risk youth, and persons with disabilities – all groups which are disproportionately excluded from opportunities in Lebanon, and who have felt the impact of Lebanon’s crisis the hardest”.
He went on explaining that despite being in Lebanon for little more than two months he has been “struck by the speed of Lebanon’s crises, and their tragic impacts on the Lebanese people”. He added “LEEP’s policy reform report, and the discussions here today, provide an important blueprint for what the new government must do immediately to support the private sector and restart the engines of Lebanon’s economic recovery. Many of these reform asks are very well known – but what must be different this time around is that leaders take responsibility, engage Lebanese society inclusively, report progress transparently, and act for the interests of the whole of Lebanon.”
A cocktail reception was held after a packed day, giving participants – international and local actors from both the private and public sectors – a further chance to meet and exchange ideas.