Running parallel to the grant program, mentioned in point # 9, is a training program for grant applicants that have been essentially approved for the grant award. The idea behind this training program is to couple training with an injection of capital to ensure that the investment of material resources is equaled by an investment of intellectual and professional capacity development.

Running parallel to the grant program, mentioned in point # 9, is a training program for grant applicants that have been essentially approved for the grant award. The idea behind this training program is to couple training with an injection of capital to ensure that the investment of material resources is equaled by an investment of intellectual and professional capacity development.

Adding training will increase the effectiveness of the grant award, allowing for a limited investment of material funds to be stretched farther and more fully leveraged to propel the business into prolonged sustainability and growth resulting in maximizing employment.

Training locations, as mentioned above, will be in both Mansour (west Baghdad) and in Masbah (east Baghdad), providing easy access to all applicants regardless of geographic location.

Depending on whether the grant applicant is classified as a “start-up” or is an existing micro business, there will be an appropriate track of 4 modules or specific subject that cover marketing, finance, and productivity topics that are relevant to the situation of the business venture identified through the grant application process. Training will take place over the course of two weeks, 4 hours per day for 4 days per week.

The track of modules that will be available to the start-up businesses is as follows:

1. Business Planning for a New Venture

2. Introduction to Marketing Concepts

3. About Customers: Gathering Information

4. Accounting for Non-Accountants
    

The track of modules that will be available to the existing micro business is as follows:

1. Introduction to Marketing ConceptsAbout Customers:

2. Gathering Information

3. Caring for the Customer

4. Accounting for Non-Accountants
    

The budget for this training is in a separate proposal for a separately funded project. However, it is important to mention it here as it will potentially more than double the value of the grant in terms of the results that are produced in sustainability and employment generation at a small fraction of the cost.