EARN Project Progress Review Meeting Held

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase has approved the procurement proposals for service provider recruitment across eight divisions under 10 packages of the Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET (EARN) project, being implemented by the Department of Youth Development. All 10 package procurement proposals were approved at a meeting held on Wednesday, 24 June, in the Cabinet Room, chaired by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury. The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase has confirmed this information.

The current government's electoral manifesto places the highest priority on employment and economic participation of young men and women. The EARN Project — designed to train and empower 900,000 NEET youth aged 15 to 35 years, 60 percent of whom are young women — stands as one of the foremost initiatives to translate this priority into action. This population — those not in education, employment, or training — is referred to as NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). The project will also strengthen the capacity of Bangladesh's creative and sports industries, which are considered vital sectors for the country's youth.

According to project sources, the EARN Project is a development initiative financed by a USD 300 million World Bank loan, aimed at ensuring economic inclusion and employment — particularly for rural youth. It is noteworthy that Bangladesh's inactive youth population is nearly double the global average rate, and this figure continues to rise. This inactive youth population is considered a major challenge for Bangladesh's socio-economic development. The EARN Project is the first and only initiative undertaken by the Government of Bangladesh to engage this growing inactive youth population in productive activities and create employment opportunities for them.

In accordance with World Bank procurement guidelines, the project areas across Bangladesh's eight divisions were divided into 10 packages. The procurement process was completed through open competitive Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) tendering. A total of 401 organizations (Single Entity and Joint Venture) submitted Expressions of Interest (EoI), of which 78 were shortlisted. Among the shortlisted organizations, 69 submitted proposals (RFP). The submitted proposals were thoroughly evaluated, World Bank approval was obtained, and the final technical and financial assessments were conducted for each package. Draft agreements were then negotiated with the NGO receiving the highest combined score. World Bank no-objection was obtained for each procurement proposal.

The organizations recommended by the Proposal Evaluation Committee and approved by the World Bank are BRAC, Save the Children, CARE Bangladesh, and Dhaka Ahsania Mission. BRAC will operate in Dhaka and Rangpur divisions. Save the Children will cover Barisal, Cox's Bazar, and Chattogram districts. CARE Bangladesh will work in the three hill districts and Khulna, Mymensingh, and Rajshahi divisions. Dhaka Ahsania Mission will operate in Cumilla, Brahmanbaria, Feni, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, and Chandpur districts, as well as Sylhet division. Each organization, along with their joint venture partners, will establish 5,000 training centers at the village level across 250 upazilas in 64 districts by 2028. Through these centers, 900,000 young men and women will receive demand-driven training across various fields to guide them toward self-reliance — effectively supporting the country's economic transformation and graduation from Least Developed Country status.

EARN Project Director and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Kazi Mokhlecur Rahman, stated that this project is not merely a conventional skills development project. Rather, one of its core activities is to enhance the employment capacity of young men and women through a range of financial and technical support measures. It is a key development project of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, aimed at ensuring holistic support for Bangladeshi youth. The project will play a pivotal role in fulfilling the current government's commitment to expanding youth employment and developing future-oriented sectors.

The primary goal of the EARN Project is not simply training, but ensuring the creation of employment and securing employment opportunities. The project will work for youth — both young men and women — who typically do not receive formal support. As most government and non-government skills development programs are urban-centric, rural youth are deprived of access to such training. This is the first comprehensive youth support project in Bangladesh that will provide integrated assistance to engage youth in economic activities. The project will not only provide training but will assess the actual needs of youth and the demands of regional, national, and global labor markets, providing support accordingly.

Research indicates that many Bangladeshi youth, even after receiving education and training, are unable to engage economically due to geographic constraints, lack of seed funding, and absence of internship and other support. This project will work to remove those barriers.

The EARN Project will be implemented through four components:

• Component 1: Support for alternative education and skills development.

• Component 2: Support for self-employment creation and economic self-reliance.

• Component 3: Creating an enabling environment — particularly for young women — to address barriers at the rural level.

• Component 4: Strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and its affiliated institutions.

Under this project, training programs will be aligned with local and international labor market standards, and support will be provided for creating new employment opportunities in both formal and informal sectors. Appropriate certification will be ensured through the National Skills Development Authority, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, and relevant agencies.