Oxfam in Kenya in collaboration with Open Capital Advisors, and other local partners are implementing the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Development project in Kenya. The core of the project is to provide Business Development Services (BDS) to small businesses in Kenya, with the aim to help them grow, access finance, and increase their (social) impact. The project targets impact-driven SMEs, those that aim to provide social or environmental impact (e.g., jobs, income, or products for low-income groups) with a focus on women and youth through their core business.

In the year 2022, the project carried out a gendered analysis on the existing policies that govern SMEs in Kenya by looking at both institutional policies and government policies. A policy brief document was developed from the assessment to identify policy gaps and propose recommendations to create an enabling environment for women-led impact SMEs through network strengthening and policy advocacy measures. Consequently, Oxfam and ANDE are bringing together stakeholders working with SMEs in a roundtable discussion of the policy document.

The Program