Cabinet body approves EARN service provider procurement proposals

The government has approved procurement proposals to appoint service providers for the Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET project, a major step to tackle youth unemployment.

Structured into 10 operational packages, the initiative aims to integrate young people not in education, employment or training into the workforce.

The approval was granted at a meeting in the Cabinet Division conference room on Wednesday, 24 June, chaired by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.

The Department of Youth Development is implementing the project, which will operate across all eight divisions through the 10 packages.

Project officials said the Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET project is a flagship government initiative to create employment opportunities for young men and women and engage them in economic activities.

The project targets 900,000 young people aged 15 to 35 who are not in education, employment or training, with women comprising 60% of the total.

Funded by a $300 million World Bank loan, the project seeks to boost economic engagement and employment, particularly among rural youth.

Project sources noted that the proportion of young people in Bangladesh who are not in education, employment, or training is nearly double the global average and continues to rise. This group poses a significant challenge to socio-economic development.

According to project officials, the Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET project is the Government of Bangladesh's first and only initiative specifically designed to make the inactive youth population work-oriented and create employment opportunities for them.

The project will also support capacity building in Bangladesh's creative and sports industries, sectors vital for youth employment.

In line with World Bank procurement guidelines, project areas across the eight divisions were divided into 10 packages, with procurement completed through an open, competitive Quality and Cost-Based Selection process.

A total of 401 institutions—including single entities and joint ventures—submitted expressions of interest. Of these, 78 were shortlisted and 69 submitted proposals.

Following detailed scrutiny and World Bank approval, technical and financial proposals for each package were evaluated. Draft contracts were prepared through negotiations with the non-government organisations that received the highest combined scores.

The World Bank's no-objection clearance was obtained for each procurement proposal.

The institutions recommended by the proposal evaluation committee and cleared by the World Bank are Brac, Save the Children, CARE Bangladesh, and Dhaka Ahsania Mission.

Brac will cover Dhaka and Rangpur divisions. Save the Children will operate in Barishal division and in Cox's Bazar and Chattogram districts. CARE Bangladesh will manage activities in the three hill districts, as well as Khulna, Mymensingh, and Rajshahi divisions. Dhaka Ahsania Mission will work in Cumilla, Brahmanbaria, Feni, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, and Chandpur districts, and in Sylhet division.

Along with their joint venture partners, the organisations will establish 5,000 training centres at the village level in 250 upazilas across 64 districts by 2028.

These centres will provide demand-driven training to 900,000 young men and women, supporting Bangladesh's economic transformation and its graduation from least developed country status, according to project officials.

Kazi Mokhlesur Rahman, Project Director of the Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET Project and Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, said the project is not a conventional training or skills development initiative.

He said one of the project's key objectives is to enhance the employment capacity of young men and women through financial and technical support.

He described the project as a major development initiative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, aimed at ensuring holistic support for Bangladeshi youth.

He added that the project would play a key role in fulfilling the government's commitment to expanding youth employment and developing future-oriented sectors.

The core objective of the Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET Project is not only to provide training but also to create and ensure access to employment opportunities.

The project will support young men and women who typically do not receive formal assistance. As most government and private skills development programmes are concentrated in urban areas, rural youth are often deprived of such opportunities.

The project will provide integrated support to engage young people in economic activities by addressing their actual needs and the demands of regional, national, and global labour markets.

Research shows many young people in Bangladesh remain economically inactive even after receiving education and training, due to location-related barriers, lack of seed funding, limited internship opportunities, and inadequate support.

The Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET Project will be implemented through four components: supporting alternative education and skills development; facilitating self-employment and economic self-reliance; creating an enabling environment for young people—especially young women—by addressing rural barriers; and strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and its subordinate institutions.

Training activities will align with local and international labour market standards. The project will also foster new employment opportunities in both formal and informal sectors.

Certification will be ensured through the National Skills Development Authority, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, and other relevant agencies.