Partnerships & collaboration
Partnership is the operating model, not an add-on
SWEEF recognises that women’s economic empowerment cannot be achieved by one organization alone. Partnership is the means by which the Foundation secures technical depth, market access, financing, policy influence and scale.
Partnership ecosystem
Eleven categories, and what each one contributes
SWEEF connects local knowledge, technical expertise, finance, markets, institutions and innovation. Each partner category carries a distinct role in the pathway.
| Partner category | Primary areas of collaboration |
|---|---|
| Federal & state government institutions | Policy alignment, sector coordination, regulatory compliance, joint planning and institutional sustainability |
| United Nations agencies | Technical standards, co-financing, sector leadership, coordination and scale |
| International NGOs | Consortium delivery, technical assistance, capacity strengthening and shared learning |
| National NGOs & civil society organizations | Local delivery, community reach, localisation and joint advocacy |
| Development partners & donors | Resource mobilization, program financing, accountability and results reporting |
| Financial & microfinance institutions | Access to finance, product design for women’s enterprises, savings and digital financial services |
| Private-sector companies & buyers | Market linkage, offtake agreements, value-chain investment, employment and enterprise development |
| Research & academic institutions | Evidence generation, applied research, evaluation and curriculum development |
| Women’s organizations, cooperatives & producer groups | Mobilisation, collective enterprise, representation and community ownership |
| Community-based & youth organizations | Outreach, participation, social cohesion and engagement of young women |
| Technology & digital-service providers | Digital skills, mobile money, market information systems and enterprise technology |
No partnerships are claimed here
The table above describes the categories SWEEF is designed to work with and the role each would play. It is not a list of existing partners. SWEEF was established on 1 September 2026 and will name partners only once agreements are in place.
The partnership pathway
From first conversation to sustainable impact
Nine steps that describe how SWEEF expects a partnership to develop and what it should produce.
- 01
Resource mobilization
Securing the financing a programme needs.
- 02
Technical assistance
Bringing in expertise SWEEF does not hold.
- 03
Capacity building
Strengthening SWEEF, partners and participants.
- 04
Innovation
Testing approaches that have not been tried here.
- 05
Market linkages
Connecting production to real, paying demand.
- 06
Research
Generating evidence about what works.
- 07
Policy dialogue
Taking that evidence to the institutions that set rules.
- 08
Scaling
Extending what demonstrably works.
- 09
Sustainable impact
Results that continue after the funding ends.
Terms of engagement
What SWEEF asks of a partnership, and offers in return
The Foundation seeks relationships in which local knowledge and international expertise are treated as equally necessary, and in which the terms are explicit from the outset.
- Mutual accountability: obligations run in both directions and are written down.
- Transparency: on budget, on decision-making, and on what is not working.
- Local ownership: Somali institutions and women’s groups hold the results, not the intermediary.
- Technical excellence: the standard is what the sector requires, not what the budget allows.
- Measurable results: agreed indicators, honest reporting, independent evaluation for significant programs.
- Long-term sustainability: designed from the start for what continues after closure.
Ways to work with SWEEF
Four routes in
Fund a program
Institutional donors, UN agencies and foundations seeking a Somali-led delivery partner with an explicit results framework and safeguarding standards in place from establishment.
Join a consortium
International and national NGOs looking for local delivery capacity, community reach and a genuine localisation partner rather than a sub-contractor.
Buy, lend or supply
Private-sector buyers, banks, microfinance and Islamic finance institutions, and technology providers who can connect women’s enterprises to markets and capital.
Research together
Universities and research institutes interested in evidence generation, evaluation and curriculum development on women’s economic empowerment in Somalia.
Partner with SWEEF
Tell us which part of the pathway you can open.
Partnership enquiries reach the Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Unit directly. Include the sector, the geography and the role you have in mind.