The European Union has contributed € 6.5 million to create jobs through labour-intensive investments in order to facilitate the reintegration of jobless youth and boost local economic development in five Tunisian provinces ("gouvernorats") that had been marginalized for political reasons by the defunct Ben Ali regime.

The project is part of the EU-Tunisia programme named "support programme to the development of disadvantaged regions", which has a duration of three years. The project agreement was signed in Tunisia on 30 March 2012 by Mr. Jameleddine Gharbi, Minister of Regional Development and Planning, Mr Adrianus Koetsenruijter, Head of the EU Delegation in Tunisia, and Mr. Jürgen Schwettmann, Director of the ILO's Partnerships and Development Cooperation Department.

Project implementation began on 1 May 2012.