Launched in February 2006, the Small Scale Enterprise Development Program (SSEDP) is considered to be the first initiative of its kind in Jordan. In cooperation with the Jordan Upgrading and Modernization Program (JUMP), the Zarqa Chamber of Industry (ZCI) and USAID, creating linkages between businesses and suppliers has been the focus of events in the governate of Zarqa, outside Jordan’s capital, Amman.

As a subcomponent of Jordan’s National Linkages Program (NLP), SSEDP intends to strengthen the Jordanian economy by identifying material inputs of large and medium-sized companies and supplying them from local small scale enterprises, rather than importing supplies from foreign companies. Highlighted benefits of such linkages include reduced lead time needed to fulfill demands for businesses as well as lower transportation costs of the product, while suppliers enjoy increased sales and an upgrade in their production processes.

	Large and medium-sized business owners and small scale suppliers discuss potential partnerships at the first networking event in Zarqa, Jordan. The event was attended by 39 people.

“The program operates by using a special database containing information useful to both buyers and suppliers in the process of establishing strategic linkages,” notes Engineer Annan Jaber, SSEDP Executive Officer.

The SSEDP is also set to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the Jordanian industrial sector by focusing on creating the connection between business and suppliers through networking events. Engineer Yarub Al-Qudah, JUMP CEO, explains that the program is unique because it improves the country’s competitiveness by providing the opportunities needed to businesses and suppliers of various sizes through interaction, while also providing specialized training workshops and field assessments.

Speaking to the choice in location for the SSEDP networking events, Al-Oudah states that while the events benefit all the governorates in Jordan, “many small and medium enterprises are located in Zarqa, which makes it the most suitable [place] to host the program.”