On September 23, 2025, the Green Scale Lab—the advanced track of the EU-funded Green Forward Program, implemented by SPARK and Flow Accelerator—held its fifth training module under the title “The Role of BSOs in the Green Transition and Public–Private Partnerships.” The session gathered the four participating Business Support Organizations (PARC, ARIJ, the Palestine Green Building Council, and the Economic and Social Development Center) for a deep exploration of how institutions like theirs can move beyond support functions to become true leaders in Palestine’s transition toward a green and circular economy.
The training was led by Laith Kassis, CEO of EnterVentures, who framed the session as a call for BSOs to reimagine their place in the ecosystem. He opened by positioning the green transition not as a passing agenda item, but as a systemic transformation in how economies operate, how resources are used, and how communities prosper. Climate change pressures, growing energy dependency, and global ESG standards are no longer distant concepts—they are already shaping the market conditions in which Palestinian enterprises must compete. Against this backdrop, BSOs must learn to play a bridging role, connecting entrepreneurs and MSMEs with the enabling environment of government policy, finance, and private sector collaboration.
The first part of the training focused on how BSOs can refine their institutional strategies to align with the green transition. Participants were encouraged to critically assess their current service portfolios, identify where sustainability is already embedded, and where there are gaps. Through practical frameworks and case reflections, they examined what it means to translate organizational missions into tangible, green-oriented programs and services. Laith stressed that for BSOs to be credible actors, sustainability must not be treated as a side project but embedded as a core value shaping their institutional identity.
From this strategic foundation, the session transitioned to the theme of public–private partnerships. Drawing on international and regional case studies—from renewable energy plants in Morocco and Egypt to waste management systems and agriculture-focused initiatives across the MENA region—Laith demonstrated how PPPs can mobilize resources, spread risk, and open space for innovation. Yet he also emphasized the challenges: governance arrangements, accountability mechanisms, and long-term sustainability must be carefully designed if these partnerships are to deliver real impact. For the Palestinian context, PPPs in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and waste management emerged as particularly relevant opportunities where BSOs can act as facilitators and conveners.
The workshop then shifted into a practical exploration of partnership development. Participants mapped out the stakeholders in their ecosystems—ministries, municipalities, financial institutions, SMEs, and community actors—and discussed strategies for initiating meaningful collaboration. The exercise underscored the unique role of BSOs as trusted intermediaries, able to bridge the technical knowledge of entrepreneurs with the regulatory reach of government and the resources of the private sector.
Finally, the session turned toward sustaining collaboration beyond the training room. Laith introduced the idea of peer learning structures, or “peer pods,” as vehicles for BSOs to continue exchanging experiences, developing joint initiatives, and presenting unified advocacy voices. In reflective discussions, each organization articulated immediate priorities for refining its green strategy, identified partnership opportunities they intend to pursue, and highlighted areas where collective advocacy could have the greatest impact.
By the close of the training, the participants had not only expanded their technical understanding of PPP models and institutional strategy, but also gained a clearer sense of their potential as ecosystem catalysts. The session reaffirmed that Palestinian BSOs, when equipped with the right tools and mindset, can move beyond advisory roles and take up positions as conveners, advocates, and leaders in shaping a resilient and inclusive green economy.
The Green Forward programme is funded by the European Union and is implemented at the meso level by SPARK and Flow Accelerator in Palestine to foster a green and circular economy (GCE) in the Southern Neighbourhood region.
