The Entrepreneurship Development Foundation

The Women and Youth Entrepreneurship Development Foundation (EDF) is a non-governmental and non-profit organization established in 2004. Our aim is to promote business and entrepreneurship skills among women, youth, and local NGOs, and facilitate the social and economic empowerment of local communities on their path toward sustainable development. We focus on creating community-based organizations (CBOs) in various geographical regions of Iran, with priority given to underprivileged areas, especially Sistan and Balochistan, Khuzestan, and South Khorasan.

EDF is an active network of experts, NGOs, local facilitators, and CBOs. Since our inception, we have gradually become a diverse group of entrepreneurs, business owners, experts, volunteers, sponsors, and the target community who participate in projects and are the main agents of local development. We have worked together to promote community-based development in the underprivileged and marginal areas of the country.

Partnerships:

EDF has played a role in the formation and development of institutions such as Hoda House (Sistan and Baluchistan), Bahar Khoramshahr Institute (Khuzestan), and Sepehr Cultural Development Foundation (South Khorasan). We have collaborated with colleagues, employers, and sponsors such as Ordibehesht Sustainable Development Institute, HamAndishan Bartar Community, Beit Al Zahra Religious Cultural Institute, NGOs House of Khuzestan, and Khuzestan Women Entrepreneurs Community, among others. We have also worked with national NGOs, governmental organizations, private sectors, and international organizations such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Sister in Charge NGO, Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and the Embassy of The Republic of Finland in Tehran, among others. EDF is a member of several organizations, including the National Network of Charitable Institutions, the Network of the Iranian Management and Engineering Consultants, Haseb Foundation, and the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

At EDF, we believe in transparency and accountability in civil organizations. We recognize the right of local communities, especially women, to human dignity, agency, access to resources, and equal opportunities for individual and social prosperity. We believe in the right of equal access to job opportunities for all members of society, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, educational background, as well as physical and mental capability. We also recognize the role of education, counseling, facilitation, and skill learning in access to job opportunities. We prioritize utilizing participatory methods for sustainable development and existing local, national, regional, and international capacities. Additionally, we identify the division of national tasks in the development process and establish links with legal, governmental, and private institutions, professional organizations, and civil society. We emphasize the importance of theoretical support and the use of applicable models for management, organizing, institution building, and research. We value the trustworthiness and preservation of the information of the target community, volunteers, and sponsors, and prioritize building trust, organization, networking, and independence.

Local community development

• Formation of Self-help Groups
• Facilitating the Formation of Women-owned Collective Businesses
• Formation and Development of Local NGOs and CBOs
• Personal and Social Development of Children and Young Adults

Research, Education, and Advocacy