Active Project · 2024–2026

Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment - RAISE

RAISE empowers low-income youth and micro-entrepreneurs through skills training, employment support, and inclusive finance to improve livelihoods in Bangladesh’s informal sector.

Learn More

12K+ Beneficiaries

59 Districts

92% Success Rate

Project Code PMK-RAISE-CODE

Status ● Ongoing

Duration

Jan 2024 – Dec 2026

Location Zirabo, Ashulia, Dhaka-1341

Sector Skills Development · Entrepreneurship · Microenterprise

Partner PKSF · World Bank

About the Project

What Is the PMK Initiative?

The Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment (RAISE) project is a nationwide livelihood and employment initiative designed to support vulnerable youth, unemployed individuals, and micro-entrepreneurs engaged in Bangladesh’s informal sector.

As an implementing partner of PKSF, PMK works directly with communities to deliver skills training, entrepreneurship development, employment support, and access to financial services for individuals affected by poverty, unemployment, and economic instability.

"Empowering people with skills and sustainable opportunities is the foundation of lasting community transformation. Through the RAISE project, PMK is committed to helping individuals rebuild confidence, create livelihoods, and shape a better future for their families and communities."
-Chief Executive, PMK

Through the RAISE project, PMK focuses on building sustainable livelihood opportunities, strengthening self-employment, and improving economic resilience among underserved populations. By combining community engagement, practical training, and inclusive development approaches, we aim to help individuals achieve long-term financial stability and social empowerment.

Primary Beneficiaries Youth · Informal Workers

Programme Focus Employment & Livelihood

Impact Vision Long-term Economic Resilience

Implemented By PMK under RAISE

Our Methodology

How We Work

Community Assessment

PMK conducts field assessments, stakeholder consultations, and baseline studies to identify community priorities, local capacities, operational risks, and development challenges.

Co-Design & Planning

PMK collaborates with community leaders, local groups, and project stakeholders to develop inclusive strategies, implementation plans, timelines, and measurable objectives.

Implementation

PMK field teams execute project activities through coordinated service delivery, community engagement, continuous monitoring, and responsive problem-solving to achieve planned outcomes.

Evaluate & Sustain

PMK evaluates project impact, documents lessons learned, strengthens local ownership, and supports sustainable continuation or expansion of successful community initiatives.

Beneficiaries

Who This Project Serves

PRIMARY GROUP
Youth & Informal Workers

Young people, including unemployed and underemployed youth, supported through skills development, employability training, and entrepreneurship pathways.
4,200+ engaged

families — EXTENDED REACH
Families & Communities

Families and local communities benefiting indirectly through improved incomes, economic resilience, and strengthened local opportunities.
4,400+ reached

Why It Matters

The Challenges RAISE Addresses

Youth Unemployment

Many young people remain outside education, employment, and training opportunities, limiting their ability to secure stable and sustainable livelihoods.

Limited Technical Skills

Informal workers and young entrepreneurs often lack access to practical training, business management knowledge, and market-oriented technical skills.

Lack of Financial Access

Small entrepreneurs and informal workers frequently struggle to access affordable financing needed to start, recover, or expand their businesses.

Economic Vulnerability

Low-income households, women, and disadvantaged communities remain highly vulnerable to economic shocks, unemployment, and long-term income instability.

Strategic Direction

Goals & Objectives

Overall Goals

Enhance access to sustainable earning opportunities for low-income youth and informal workers in urban and peri-urban communities.

Strengthen employability, technical capacity, and entrepreneurship skills through market-oriented training and apprenticeship support.

Support micro-entrepreneurs with inclusive financial services to expand businesses, increase productivity, and create local employment opportunities.

Promote economic resilience among vulnerable households affected by unemployment, financial instability, and economic shocks.

Increase participation of women, disadvantaged youth, and marginalized communities in sustainable income-generating activities.

Specific Objectives

Provide technical skills and apprenticeship opportunities for unemployed and NEET youth through hands-on industry-based learning.

Deliver business management and entrepreneurship development training for young micro-entrepreneurs and informal workers.

Facilitate access to affordable and inclusive finance for startup growth, business recovery, and enterprise expansion.

Support wage employment, self-employment, and job placement pathways for trained youth and project participants.

Strengthen community awareness, life skills, and long-term economic participation through continuous mentoring and capacity-building initiatives.

What We Deliver

Benefits of This Programme

The program targets a broad group of youth entrepreneurs and micro-entrepreneurs, with special emphasis on COVID-19 affected micro-enterprises and low-income youth engaged in key employment-generating sectors such as Ready-Made Garments (RMG), leather goods and footwear, construction, and light engineering. The initiative provides loan-based financial support to promote self-employment, enterprise recovery, and business expansion across three major intervention components:

COVID-19 Affected Entrepreneurs Component

This component supports entrepreneurs whose livelihoods were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Beneficiaries operate in a diverse range of informal, semi-formal, and small-scale economic activities, including agriculture, livestock, transport services, retail trade, food processing, manufacturing, repair services, and small workshops. The support aims to stabilize existing businesses and restore income-generating capacity.

Youth Entrepreneurs Component

This component focuses on emerging and aspiring youth entrepreneurs engaged in skill-based and production-oriented trades. It includes sectors such as tailoring and garment production, agro-based activities, food processing, light engineering, electrical and mechanical services, construction-related trades, ICT services, and small-scale manufacturing. The objective is to foster entrepreneurship, skills utilization, and sustainable job creation.

MCP & APT Component

This component targets semi-skilled and skilled youth engaged in technical and service-oriented occupations. It covers trades such as mobile phone servicing, electrical installation and maintenance, welding and fabrication, carpentry, plumbing, refrigeration and air-conditioning, IT and graphic services, automotive servicing, and food production. The focus is on enhancing productivity, technical capacity, and enterprise formalization.

Youth Entrepreneurs

PMK supports youth entrepreneurs through business training, mentorship, and financial access, helping them establish sustainable enterprises, increase income opportunities, and achieve long-term economic independence successfully.

COVID-19 Affected Entrepreneurs

PMK assists entrepreneurs affected by economic disruptions through livelihood recovery support, financial inclusion, and business rebuilding opportunities. The programme helps vulnerable businesses restore operations, protect household incomes, recover from financial losses, and improve resilience against future economic challenges through targeted support, mentorship, and sustainable enterprise development initiatives.

Women Entrepreneurs

PMK empowers women entrepreneurs through vocational skills training, small business financing, mentorship, and market access support. The project helps women-led enterprises grow sustainably, improve household income, strengthen economic independence, and increase participation in local economic activities while building confidence, resilience, and long-term financial stability within vulnerable communities.

Informal Sector Workers

PMK helps informal workers improve practical skills, access safer employment opportunities, strengthen livelihoods, increase income stability, and build resilience against ongoing economic challenges successfully.

Technical Trade Youth

PMK trains youth in electrical work, mechanics, welding, and mobile servicing, improving employability, technical expertise, sustainable earning opportunities, and long-term career development prospects successfully.

Digital & Service Sector Youth

PMK equips youth with digital, IT, graphic design, and technical service skills to improve employment opportunities and future economic resilience. The programme supports modern workforce development by preparing young people for technology-driven careers, freelancing opportunities, and sustainable income generation within Bangladesh’s growing digital and service economy sectors.

Small Business Owners

PMK supports microbusiness owners through financial services, recovery assistance, and business guidance, helping strengthen operations, improve productivity, expand income opportunities, and create local employment.

Agriculture & Livestock Workers

PMK supports farmers and livestock workers through training, financial access, and productivity improvement initiatives, strengthening rural livelihoods, increasing income opportunities, and promoting economic resilience sustainably.

1200 + Women Empowered

3500 + Youth Trained & Employed

100 + Training & Awareness Programs Held

59 + Districts Covered

Visual Story

Project Gallery

Project Activity