Omid Entrepreneurship Fund
Omid Entrepreneurship Fund is a Tehran-headquartered public non-governmental, unlisted credit institution that finances micro-enterprises, household businesses, rural cooperatives and self-employed individuals across Iran. Supervised as a non-bank credit institution, it uses preferential and Qard al-Hasanah lending to support local employment and small-scale production, making it a key financing channel for rural and community-level enterprise engagement.
Market position
A nationwide non-bank credit institution focused on financing micro, household and rural enterprises. It operates under Central Bank of Iran supervision.
Operations & footprint
Products and services
Omid Entrepreneurship Fund provides microfinance and preferential credit for employment creation, entrepreneurship, household businesses, rural enterprises, cooperatives, skilled individuals, women-led businesses, and small local production and service activities. Its programs include low-cost and interest-free facilities, financing of market-oriented microenterprises, support for local and community microfunds, financial participation with public and charitable institutions, business and credit assessment, support for village-based employment, and collaboration with innovation and venture-capital organizations to improve access to finance for technology-based and innovative businesses.
Operations and assets
The fund operates through provincial management offices and local branches across all 31 Iranian provinces. Its statute defined capital at IRR 18,930,525,460,279 as of 18 March 2018.
Geographic footprint
Iran nationwide, with provincial management offices and local branch networks in all 31 provinces. Headquarters are in Tehran.
Ownership & group structure
Ownership
Public non-governmental institution with independent legal personality and administrative and financial autonomy. Its Board of Trustees is chaired by the President of Iran or a designated representative and includes cabinet ministers.
Commercial and investment relevance
The fund is relevant for investors assessing Iran's microfinance system, rural and household-enterprise financing, inclusive credit, employment programs, local supply chains, and public support for small businesses. Its financing may help create supplier and distribution networks below the scale served by commercial banks or venture investors. Due diligence should verify the current legal and supervisory framework, annual government allocations, funding sources, lending and guarantee terms, geographic and sector distribution, borrower-selection criteria, non-performing loans, repayment rates, collateral and guarantor requirements, subsidy elements, political or directed-lending exposure, cooperation with local microfunds and public institutions, administrative costs, fraud controls, impact-measurement methodology, partnerships with the innovation ecosystem, sanctions exposure, and whether individual recipients received loans, grants, guarantees, or technical support. For buyers and suppliers, the fund provides a route to dispersed micro and small enterprises, including household producers, rural cooperatives and self-employed operators. Partners working on local production, rural development or small-business distribution can engage with financing programmes structured around employment creation.
Constraints, risk & compliance
Key risks and constraints
Lending outcomes are exposed to the credit performance and repayment capacity of small, household-based and rural borrowers. The fund’s public-institution governance and policy-led employment mandate can also shape programme priorities and lending allocation.
Sanctions and compliance considerations
The fund is not directly listed on the OFAC SDN List, but it operates in Iran’s domestic financial system and in Iranian rials. Cross-border counterparties require transaction-specific sanctions and financial-crime screening. It is distinct from OFAC-designated Omid Sepah Exchange Company.
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Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to the questions most likely to arise when reviewing this profile.
What does Omid Entrepreneurship Fund finance?
It provides preferential and Qard al-Hasanah lending for micro-enterprises, household businesses, rural cooperatives, self-employed individuals and other small-scale ventures.
Where does Omid Entrepreneurship Fund operate?
The fund is headquartered in Tehran and operates nationwide through provincial management offices and local branches across all 31 Iranian provinces.
Is Omid Entrepreneurship Fund publicly listed?
No. It is an unlisted public non-governmental institution.
What are the fund’s flagship programmes?
Its flagship schemes include One Village One Product and One House One Workshop, which link small-business finance with local employment and production.