Enterprise Development
There are an estimated 400 million small and medium enterprises in emerging markets around the world. Supporting these SMEs can unleash the power of private enterprise as an engine for growth. SMEs drive innovation, create jobs and opportunities, and are strong community partners for development. But only if they can access knowledge, skills and resources—human, technological, practical, financial—necessary to launch or grow.
Approach and Expertise
Global small and medium enterprises are at the heart of what we do. IESC works throughout the business ecosystem to catalyze the growth of SMEs and foster entrepreneurship.
- We strengthen financial institutions and prepare borrowers so that more SMEs can access finance and investment.
- We help SMEs meet quality standards and increase their competitiveness to foster trade and market linkages.
- We leverage real business opportunities and address global food demand through our market-driven approaches agriculture.
- We support workforce development to train workers with marketable skills that employers demand.
- We support policies and regulations that improve the business enabling environment for SMEs.
- We build the capacity of business and trade associations, cooperatives, government bodies, and other public and private institutions to better support SMEs.
Our Work in Action
In Tunisia we worked through existing small business development centers to provide long-term, sustainable assistance to Tunisian SMEs. And we trained about 400 SMEs on a preferential tariff system to encourage export-ready businesses to take that step.
In Afghanistan we led a flagship enterprise development program, partnering with almost 300 SMEs to acquire new equipment or technologies to expand and modernize.
In Georgia, we established a business consulting network to be a technical and informational resource for SMEs and helped the regional Chamber of Commerce develop a printing and advertising service—the first of its kind—to support SMEs for broad-based economic growth.
