Invest Salone is a UK government-funded, private-sector development programme that boosts investment in agriculture, manufacturing, fisheries and tourism by strengthening the pipeline of investible firms and projects; supports firms to grow their exports; and helps the private and public sectors to find lasting solutions to investment blockages that hamper business growth. The overall aim is to increase incomes and jobs for thousands of Sierra Leonean women and men. Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with a poverty rate of 54%. This is reflected in a largely informal, underdeveloped and unproductive private sector. However, the country has a vast potential for faster, more inclusive growth that could create jobs for youth, make it more competitive globally, raise tax revenues and lift it out of its dependence on international aid. Invest Salone is working to reduce the cost and risk of doing business in Sierra Leone. It also helps firms to grow using a spectrum of tools, including brokering links between producers and buyers, providing technical assistance and through matching grant facilities aimed at firms and investors.