Entrepreneurship Ecosystem And Access To Finance Expert, National Consultancy, NO-C, Bih Sarajevo, Bosnia And Herzegovina Posting Date08/14/2026 BE THE FIRST TO APPLY

Organizational Context

UN Women Bosnia and Herzegovina, as part of the Gender Equality Accelerator Joint Programme, focuses on strengthening women's economic empowerment. This involves improving entrepreneurial ecosystems, enhancing access to finance, and fostering public-private sector cooperation. The programme aims to create more gender-responsive policies and support mechanisms for women entrepreneurs, aligning with SDGs and national priorities.

Job Purpose

This consultancy aims to strengthen the enabling environment for women's entrepreneurship in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The expert will provide technical support to enhance the gender responsiveness, coordination, and effectiveness of the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Key objectives include improving the relevance, diversity, and accessibility of financing opportunities for women-owned and women-led enterprises. The role will generate actionable evidence, strengthen institutional and entrepreneurial capacities, and facilitate structured cooperation among various stakeholders, leading to practical policy recommendations and improved financing models.

Responsibilities

The consultant will conduct a desk review of the entrepreneurship ecosystem and policy framework, developing and applying a gender-responsive assessment framework for policy documents. They will assess institutional roles, coordination, and gaps, and facilitate stakeholder consultations to develop recommendations for strengthening institutional coordination and public-private cooperation. Additionally, the consultant will map financial instruments, assess barriers to access for women entrepreneurs, and identify/assess innovative financing approaches. They will design and deliver capacity-development programmes for women entrepreneurs and facilitate engagement activities with financial institutions. The role also involves developing a diagnostic tool for private sector actors, providing targeted advisory support to companies, and designing multi-stakeholder learning activities to share findings and practices.

Work Experience

Requires at least 7 years of professional experience in entrepreneurship ecosystem development, SME development, and private-sector development. Demonstrated experience in access to finance, financial inclusion, or designing financing instruments for SMEs is essential. Experience in policy analysis, strategic planning, multi-stakeholder coordination, and designing/delivering capacity-development programmes is also necessary. Experience integrating gender equality or women's economic empowerment into relevant assignments is required. Experience with international organizations is an asset.

Skills

Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development, SME Development, Private Sector Development, Access to Finance, Financial Inclusion, Financial Sector Analysis, Policy and Regulatory Analysis, Strategic Planning, Stakeholder Engagement, Capacity Development, Gender Equality Integration, Women's Economic Empowerment.

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