Small, medium, and micro enterprises constitute a fundamental pillar of both national and global economies due to their role in promoting growth, sustainable development, and addressing poverty and unemployment. They also provide broad employment opportunities, especially for women, youth, and low-income groups. In Jordan, these enterprises represent about 99.5% of private-sector institutions, reflecting their significance in the national economic structure. Despite this vital role, community and small enterprises face complex challenges that hinder their launch and sustainability, including procedural and bureaucratic complexities, multiple legal authorities, weak financial incentives, and fear of losing social benefits—all of which limit the transition of grassroots initiatives into productive, formalized projects.
This paper, issued by the Jordan National NGO Forum (JONAF) as part of the project Future Forward: Unlocking Sustainable Local Opportunities, aims to highlight these challenges, analyze their legal, procedural, and economic dimensions, and present practical recommendations to strengthen the supportive legislative and administrative environment. This would help empower women, youth, and refugees to participate effectively in local development and achieve economic sustainability.
