Micro and Small-Medium Enterprise (MSME) Job Creation

In addition to enhancing the quality of life for the host community through the direct employment of local men at the Morvarid Iron Ore Mine, Matmaa Mining Group plays a pivotal role in the socio-economic sustainability of its surrounding environment by supporting local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) within Morvarid village.

Matmaa’s strategy in this domain is rooted in ‘Responsible Procurement’. This approach recognizes that supplying required products and services locally is one of the most effective ways corporations can contribute to the socio-economic empowerment of their host communities. Consequently, these local micro and small businesses are integrated as subcontractors into the company’s sustainable supply chain.

Establishment of Local Kitchens

In 2019, catering services for the company’s personnel were identified as a key opportunity for community engagement. Matmaa Mining Group organized commercial culinary training courses for local female volunteers, delivered by certified instructors from the Technical and Vocational Training Organization. Following the volunteer leadership of two village women, two dedicated working groups were established to launch and manage two separate kitchens for lunch and dinner operations.

Since 2019, catering services for Matmaa’s personnel have been designated as a strategic avenue for host community participation. Given the absence of commercial kitchens in Morvarid village and aiming to foster an empowering relationship with the community, Matmaa’s CSR department has implemented various measures to launch and sustain these kitchens. Key initiatives include:

  • Targeting local women as the core demographic to launch and operate the kitchens.
  • Organizing commercial catering courses for female volunteers in partnership with certified Technical and Vocational Training Organization instructors.
  • Endorsing 10 selected women to the Technical and Vocational Training Organization, resulting in their official professional certifications.
  • Forming two distinct working groups to launch two kitchens, led by two local women who volunteered for managerial roles, with others employed as kitchen staff.
  • Granting interest-free loans and financial assistance to secure the necessary commercial kitchen equipment.
  • Providing pro-bono consultancy services by Matmaa’s corporate staff in bookkeeping, accounting, and securing required official business and health permits.
  • Ongoing mentorship by the head of the village CSR office for the two female owner-managers. This includes streamlining relations with relevant corporate departments, managing local cultural sensitivities regarding women’s employment, enhancing food quality control, and organizing the welfare of the female staff in each kitchen.

Home-Based Sewing Workshops

Aligned with the findings of Matmaa’s CSR field team, the activation of small, home-based sewing workshops for the women of Morvarid village was identified as a prime opportunity for host community development. Corporate orders for Matmaa’s customized promotional gifts are distributed among local seamstresses based on their skills and equipment, under the direct supervision of the local CSR manager.

The activation of small, home-based sewing workshops for the women of Morvarid village emerged as a major opportunity for host community engagement. Since 2019, Matmaa’s CSR department has driven this initiative through two primary paths: supporting professional technical-vocational sewing training for interested women, and routing corporate procurement orders directly to them. These orders include promotional gift items such as tote bags, medical and fabric face masks, small felt crafts, tablet sleeves, and document holders, as well as the manufacturing of industrial workwear for mine personnel.

A total of 32 local women completed the training courses and were certified by the Zanjan Province Technical and Vocational Training Organization. Among them, approximately 22 women proceeded to purchase standard and industrial sewing machines. Several utilized their vocational certificates to secure microloans for equipment procurement. Operating in teams of two or three, these women dedicated a room in their households as a part-time workshop.

Corporate orders for Matmaa’s promotional gift packaging are distributed among these seamstresses based on their technical capacity, supervised by the local CSR head. A significant milestone was achieved in 2025 when the workshops were awarded contracts to manufacture industrial workwear for the mine’s workforce. In preceding years, several seamstresses advanced their technical skills and acquired specialized machinery, enabling them to fulfill these high-volume, quality-intensive corporate contracts successfully.

The Model Farm Project

A portion of the buffer-zone land acquired by Matmaa Mining Group is arable. Consequently, the initiative to activate these lands for agricultural use and create new employment opportunities—particularly for the village youth—was integrated into Matmaa’s CSR agenda in 2021.

Agriculture is one of the traditional livelihoods of the residents surrounding the Morvarid Iron Ore Mine. Concurrently, mining regulations necessitate the acquisition of adjacent lands to establish an appropriate geographical buffer zone with human settlements. Because a portion of the lands acquired by Matmaa Mining Group is highly arable, the initiative to utilize these plots for sustainable farming and unlock fresh job opportunities, particularly for local youth, was launched in 2021. The primary actions taken to date include:

  • Partnering with two sustainable and organic agriculture experts to assess cultivation feasibility, with a specific focus on medicinal herbs.
  • Allocating two separate agricultural plots, measuring two hectares each, for the segregated cultivation of Homa-seed wheat, chickpeas, and Damask roses (Gol-e Mohammadi).
  • Appointing a local youth from the village as the project supervisor and lead farmer to oversee daily farm operations.
  • Collaborating with village residents on a permanent or seasonal basis for farm management, providing competitive labor wages, and distributing an agreed profit-share from the farm’s harvest.
  • Channeling the net profits generated from the model farm’s agricultural sales directly to sponsor and sustain the operations of the Morvarid Library.

Corporate Gifts Procurement

In Morvarid village, the primary host community adjacent to the mine, women traditionally did not participate in external economic activities. This paradigm was shifted through the establishment of two women-led catering kitchens for the mine’s workforce and the corporate procurement of handcrafted products for Matmaa’s promotional and seasonal gift packages.

Another key opportunity embraced within Matmaa’s local procurement strategy involves sourcing items for corporate gift packages directly from products handcrafted in Morvarid village. The company’s procurement requirements are divided into two categories: standard gifts presented to corporate guests and mine visitors, and seasonal gift packages (such as for Nowruz).

Given local employment dynamics and leveraging the technical-vocational training programs provided, Matmaa directed its procurement toward empowering capable local women. Facilitated by the village CSR officer, the company identifies and connects with women capable of manufacturing the required items. Matmaa’s CSR unit provides multi-faceted support, including advancing raw material costs, supervising design and quality control, and managing financial logistics. In recent years, a diverse range of local products and crafts have been integrated into Matmaa’s corporate gifts, including:

  • Handwoven woolen kilims (Glims) in small and medium sizes.
  • Hand-knitted woolen socks.
  • Varieties of wild and medicinal herbs handpicked from the local plains and mountains.
  • Custom fabric gift bags and totes.
  • Specialized tablet sleeves and document holders.
  • Traditional dry pastries.
  • Handcrafted artisanal candles.