Call for proposals – Tailor-Made Training (TMT) for Iraq as part of the MENA Scholarship Programme (MSP)

For whom

This call for proposals is open to Dutch universities who are committed to supporting entrepreneurship development in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and who meet the following criteria:

• Strong entrepreneurship ecosystem: Training providers must have a well-established track record in fostering entrepreneurship and be willing to share their expertise with universities in the KRI.
• Experience in capacity development: Training providers should have experience in implementing capacity-building programmes, preferably in the MENA region.
• Multidisciplinary team: Proposals must be supported by a diverse team of experts, including members with specific experience working in Iraq or similar contexts.
• Flexible training delivery: Applicants should be prepared to deliver training activities both in-person (in the KRI and the Netherlands) and online.
• Tailor-made approach: The training provider must be willing to design and implement a customised training programme for representatives of a number of KRI universities and representatives of the Ministry of Higher Education.
• Conditions: Applicants must fully agree with the MSP TMT Grant Conditions and general MSP requirements.

Preference is given to Dutch universities over other training providers, as the primary target group consists of university lecturers in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and the programme aims to foster long-term institutional partnerships between universities in the KRI and the Netherlands.

Context

Over half of Iraq’s population is under 25 years old, yet youth employment opportunities remain scarce due to outdated education systems and limited private sector development. The CoCreate My City (CCMC) programme has introduced entrepreneurship education practices to five public universities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Building on this programme, a follow-up training programme is proposed to consolidate and expand entrepreneurship initiatives within universities, enhance sustainability, and support youth-led enterprise development. The envisioned TMT will build on existing CCMC structures and relationships, equip lecturers to independently continue entrepreneurship programmes, foster long-term partnerships between Dutch and Iraqi institutions and contribute to the Netherlands’ Private Sector Development goals in Iraq.

Objectives

The proposed Tailor-Made Training (TMT) programme aims to:

• Ensure sustainability of the CCMC programme by strongly encouraging participating universities to continue implementing and expanding the programme within their own institutions.
• Support the development and enhancement of Entrepreneurship Centres at KRI universities by establishing sustainable structures that foster entrepreneurial skills, mindset, and opportunities among students.
• Strengthen the entrepreneurial mindset and capacity of academic staff, equipping them with tools to inspire and guide student entrepreneurship.
• Encourage stronger collaboration between universities and the local private sector, positioning universities as key contributors to regional economic development.
• Support lecturers in transitioning from traditional teaching roles to more facilitative and mentoring roles, enabling them to better support student-led innovation.
• Equip lecturers to guide students beyond the idea stage, helping them develop realistic, impactful business or social ventures.
• Stimulate inter-university collaboration, encouraging lecturers to serve as connectors between institutions involved in the programme.
• Support universities in monitoring and evaluating the outcomes and impact of their entrepreneurship programmes to ensure continuous learning and improvement.
• Foster long-term partnerships between Dutch and KRI universities, strengthening international academic cooperation and knowledge exchange.
• Provide the Dutch Consulate General in the KRI with insights into the current state of entrepreneurship in higher education institutions, informing the design of future K2K (Knowledge-to-Knowledge) projects.
• Offer a (certified) Train-the-Trainers pathway where lecturers who complete all modules gain a certificate. This builds internal capacity and creates a pool of master trainers across KRI universities.
  

Target group

• At least 15 participants.
• Main target group: lecturers from the public universities of the KRI who have practiced entrepreneurship activities or trained to teach entrepreneurship, among them participants of the CCMC program from the 5 universities: University of Rapareen in Rania (Sulaymaniyah), University of Garmiyan in Kalar (Sulaymaniyah), University of Koya in Koya (Erbil), University of Halabja in Halabja, University of Zakho in Zakho (Duhok). The Consulate General will collaborate with the implementing partner in the selection of the participants.
• The 7-8 participating lecturers worked on the CCMC programme have a full year experience in preparing students for a hackathon on student entrepreneurship.
• Additionally, 7 lecturers from newly participating universities - who are interested in implementing the CCMC programme at their own institutions - will also take part. These lecturers need to be trained or engaged in previous entrepreneurship practices at their universities.
• 1-2 representatives of the Ministry of Higher Education who are mandated to work on Edu-entrepreneurship.

Suggested location and timing

• Once a training provider has been selected and the participants are identified in collaboration with the Consulate General, the first step will be to conduct an online needs assessment among all participants. This will ensure the training is tailored to their specific needs and aligned with the current context in the KRI.
• Ideally, the programme will begin with an in-person training session in the KRI, designed to introduce key themes and objectives, allow participants and trainers to connect, and collaboratively refine the training goals.
• Several weeks of online training and coaching, providing ongoing support and deeper engagement with the material.
• During the online training period participants should be encouraged to target a group of students from their universities, providing them with trainings on market study, design thinking and help the students to come up with an entrepreneurial business idea. preferably during April & May.
• A key component of the programme will include at least one week of in-person training in the Netherlands, featuring site visits to more than 2 Dutch universities with established Entrepreneurship Centres and strong support systems for student startups.
• Given the academic calendar in the KRI, where the academic year ends in July 2026, the TMT programme is expected to start in February 2026.
• All activities have to be finalised before 1 September 2026.
  

More information

• At this stage, the goal is to identify a training provider who can demonstrate the expertise, experience, and network necessary to successfully implement the programme.
• The selected provider must show a strong commitment to all programme requirements and be able to present ideas and a clear vision for the training approach.
• The exact content and structure will be refined following a needs assessment conducted in collaboration with all participants after a Dutch university has been selected. This approach ensures the training will be tailored to the actual needs and context of the target group.
• Training materials developed during the programme should be made available after the training is completed, to ensure continued access and to support knowledge sharing with future participants.

Budget

75.000 Euro

Deadline

27 November 2025, 23.59 pm CET

How to apply?

You can find all information on the process of applying and the required documents on the MSP page. Please use the proposal form to submit your application. For questions please send an email to msp@nuffic.nl