Training, Integration and Entrepreneurship Support Project - Phase II (FIER 2)

The FIER project is an initiative of the Malian government, supported by IFAD, which aims to empower rural youth by providing them with skills, opportunities, and concrete support to create their own businesses or find employment. The second phase, FIER II, has an ambition to scale up: not only to consolidate the results of Phase I, but above all, FIER II aims to broaden the impact to agricultural sectors with greater potential, introduce more climate-resilient practices (climate-compatible technologies/agroecology), and include more young women in rural entrepreneurship.

• Skills Development and Qualification Provide 60,000 rural youth (ages 15-40) with vocational and entrepreneurial training to enable them to work effectively in agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. • Boosting Rural Entrepreneurship Support the creation and development of 5,000 youth-led micro-enterprises by providing mentorship, business plans, and access to financing. • Inclusion of Rural Women Achieve a target of at least 40% young women among beneficiaries to address gender imbalances in rural entrepreneurship and agricultural value chains. • Resilience and Sustainability of Value Chains Encourage the adoption of agroecological and climate-friendly practices and strengthen market access through collective structures to ensure the long-term viability of rural economic activities.