Our Work in Enterprise Development

In the last six years, global poverty has dramatically decreased, which is largely attributed to economic growth in developing countries. Banyan Global’s Enterprise Development practice supports this trend through our work with micro, small, and medium enterprises, farmers, and vulnerable populations. Our efforts harness economic opportunities, using tailored interventions to empower local communities and their businesses. We have found that micro, small, and medium enterprises can stimulate private ownership and contribute to employment and broad-based economic growth. Show More

At Banyan Global, we combine financial, business, workforce development, and policy expertise to promote enterprise development and support livelihoods. We work with donors and governments to transform developing and transitional economies through the power and ingenuity of the private sector. Overall, we promote economic growth aimed at helping the poor.

Our enterprise development expertise includes the following:

• Market systems and value chain development: We implement market-oriented approaches that identify value chain specific constraints and opportunities, and then facilitate interventions that set in motion change throughout the system.
• Agriculture and agribusiness: We help strengthen the skills and abilities of farmers and agribusinesses to meet local and international market requirements, establish linkages to markets, and gain access to financing and investment.
• Information and communications technology: We build the capacity of local individuals and enterprises to understand and draw on information and communications technology to further their economic interests and create employment.
• Workforce development: We help job seekers—particularly youth—develop the skills and perspective required to take advantage of immediate and long-term opportunities in local labor markets.
• Gender: We provide technical insight to ensure that projects focusing on enterprise development and livelihoods leverage the benefits of increasing economic equality between women and men.
• Capacity building: We train local institutions to provide business services and improve the competitiveness of private enterprises through training, materials development, and one-on-one technical assistance.
• Policy and regulatory advisory services: We provide advisory services at the policy level to enable private enterprises and labor markets to flourish in a sound regulatory environment and institutional framework.
• Vulnerable populations: We address the issues of vulnerable populations by dealing with constraints in the system that foster poverty. Our programs help local communities to acquire productive assets, build local capacity, and improve livelihood and income options for vulnerable populations.