RECONOMY (inception phase)

Project description / objective

To enable women and young people, in particular excluded and disadvantaged groups, to benefit from economic opportunities by increasing their income and taking up decent jobs, inclusively and sustainably.

View also RECONOMY's Main Phase (2023 - 2026)

Market systems focus

Vocational training (non-formal & informal)

Increasing the employability (including self-employability) and income generation of women, young people and disadvantaged/excluded groups by improving non-formal and informal training offer. Ensure the training is improved and available to the target groups and ensure strengthened and diversified intermediation.

Business & financial services

Improvement of business and financial services to help enterprises grow, invest and create more/new economic opportunities.

Advocacy

Improving advocacy in the areas of policy, regulatory, legislative and administrative to help target groups and enterprises increase their participation and voice to advocate for better economic opportunities.

Programme interventions

Note on interventions
RECONOMY is currently in its inception phase, with pilot interventions in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership region.

Western Balkans

Vibrant service sector for better economic opportunities 
Support to private sector enterprises to understand regional/international markets, develop business support services and support the expansion of non-formal skills provision.

Self-employment through freelancing
Support to develop demand-driven and commercial sustainable non-formal skills contributing to the availability of a freelance workforce with the right skills profile.

Eco-innovation and economic opportunities through waste management
Support to promote formal waste collection by facilitating groups of informal marginalised collectors to: get licenses; strengthen the green business ecosystem; create awareness around waste generators and waste management producers and importers.

Eastern Partnership

Business advocacy - public-private dialogue
Support to develop the capacity of private sector enterprises (in particular SMEs) and bottom-up and evidence-informed processes to advocate effectively by engaging with the public sector on business environment reform issues

Enhancing economic opportunities through non-formal skills development 
Support a range of industry/sector associations to facilitate availability and better access to improved and relevant non-formal training offers; strengthen and diversify intermediation services; upskilling.

Economic opportunities through improving the competitiveness and sustainability in the textile and apparel sector 
Support to the textile and apparel sector to create better economic opportunities through leveraging an industrial knowledge base to systematically modernise the skill demands.

Energy transition for income and employment
Support to stimulate additional deployment and investment in the renewable energy sector leading to increased employment; facilitate extending opportunities for SMEs in the renewable energy sector by testing better business models (access to finance and skilled workforce); facilitating policy instruments.

SMEs Digitalisation
Support in addressing skills mismatch in the economy through research and skill-building actions; support in developing the ecosystem by incubating a cohort of start-ups in priority economic directions; support in building a conducive ecosystem for the sustainability of impact through advocacy and public awareness actions.

Sustainable food systems
Support to develop capacity of private sector enterprises by promoting new and improved business and financial services; public-private coordination; stimulating enterprise investment and growth; and ultimately create more employment and income-earning opportunities.

Notable results (systemic change, poverty impact)

Overall impact: better income and jobs

• 5.800 people with additional income and decent job opportunities
• 30 per cent of people with additional income and decent job opportunities who express satisfaction with their situation

[updated June 2022]