As part of its continuous efforts to support the private sector and stimulate the growth of Bahraini businesses, especially SMEs, Tamkeen announced that it is dropping one of the eligibility conditions to benefit from its Enterprise Development Support programme. As per the change, beneficiaries are no longer required to use service providers certified by Tamkeen, and can now choose from whichever service providers they prefer.
In addition to creating more flexibility, the change will allow more companies in Bahrain the opportunity to participate in the Enterprise Development Support programme and compete to provide beneficiaries with high-quality advisory services. The proposed additions and improvements cover the “Istishara”, “Jawda”, and “Tasweeq” schemes as they are three Enterprise Development Support schemes that previously required using Tamkeen-certified service providers.
Tamkeen’s Chief Executive Mahmood Hashem Al Kooheji said the new amendments to the eligibility criteria is testament to Tamkeen’s commitment to improve the performance of Bahraini enterprises, increase their productivity and efficiency, and put them on the right track toward growth and prosperity in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.
“The changes were made in response to calls by beneficiary enterprises for more flexibility in choosing service providers. The new facilities are expected to allow more Bahraini organisations, both beneficiaries and service providers, to maximise the benefits and help advance economic growth.”
More than 4,700 national business enterprises across all sectors benefited from Tamkeen’s Enterprise Development Support programme to date. The figure is expected to increase considerably with the new change in place.
The six schemes under the Enterprise Development Support Programme are “Istishara” which enables business owners to better run their business by making informed business decisions for enhanced productivity and long-term sustainability, “Jawda” which enables business owners to implement world-class quality management systems to improve products and services offered, “Techania” to enable business owners to invest in modern equipment to reduce operational costs and improve productivity, “Tarweej” to enable enterprises to increase their visibility through participation in local and international trade fairs and exhibitions, “Tasweeq” to enable business owners to create professional marketing and communication strategies to grow the business, and the Large Enterprises Scheme to enable large enterprises to acquire industrial machinery and technology.
In all, more than 66,000 Bahraini individuals and enterprises benefited from Tamkeen programmes to date. The total number of beneficiaries is expected to reach more than 100,000.
Business owners interested in enrolling in the Enterprise Development Support Programme can visit Tamkeen’s Enterprise Development Support Agency at Meral Building located in Seef area, or call the toll-free number or email (edsa@tamkeen.bh) or through the website (www.tamkeen.bh/edsa).