AfSME Prog

completed

Project Description In Sub-Saharan Africa, SMEs make up more than 95 percent of all firms and excluding the ones operating in the informal sector. SME growth has the potential to provide millions with economic and development opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, this is often hampered by SMEs inability to grow to full commercial potential and/or engage in the value chains of larger corporates. According to the IFC/World Bank Enterprise Survey 2006-2010, the constraints most cited by SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa include: Access to electricity; Access to finance; Business environment; Technical and business skills and Awareness of market standards and opportunities. This project responds primarily to demand from Financial Institutions for support to maximize the reach and effectiveness of Non-Financial Services ("NFS") to SMEs. The project will directly support FIs, Real sector corporates, groups of firms, Implementing partners and Key Stakeholders to create an Ecosystem that qualifies and sustains the growth of SMEs to access markets/value chains and suitable finance. Specifically, IFC will partner with: 1) Financial Institutions to enhance the readiness of SMEs to engage with both FIs and Real Sector clients by providing them customized advisory services through those FIs and Real Sector Clients; 2) Real sector corporate clients directly or Corporates on the portfolio of FIs to improve the performance of the SMEs in their value chains; 3) Intermediaries and stakeholders in CASA/FCS to improve the SME Ecosystem to access markets/value chains, skills development and access to finance and 4) Business Development Services Providers and other institutions to strengthening their capacity to provide better services to Corporates and to SMEs.