Summary
“This report provides insights into the state of social innovation and impact investment in India. The report analyzes the key trends and developments in the social innovation ecosystem in 2022 and highlights the opportunities and challenges for the sector. It provides a comprehensive overview of the impact investment landscape in India and assesses the performance of impact investment funds and organizations in the country. The report identifies the key drivers of the social innovation sector, including the growing focus on sustainability, innovation, and impact measurement. It also highlights the need for increased collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders to address the challenges faced by the sector, such as the lack of adequate funding, regulatory barriers, and limited capacity for impact measurement. The report emphasizes the role of impact investment in driving social change and calls for greater support from the government, private sector, and civil society to foster the growth of the sector. It recommends the development of a conducive policy and regulatory environment for impact investment, the establishment of a dedicated impact investment fund, and the creation of platforms for knowledge sharing and collaboration among stakeholders. Overall, the report presents a positive outlook for the social innovation and impact investment ecosystem in India and highlights the potential for the sector to drive sustainable and inclusive development in the country.”
Summary
“This report provides insights into the current policy landscape and regulatory environment for impact investment in Bangladesh, identifying the challenges that have hindered the growth of the impact investment sector in the country, such as the absence of a supportive ecosystem and inadequate policy frameworks. Through the analysis of the current state of the impact investment ecosystem, the report highlights the need for a clear and comprehensive policy framework, increased awareness and understanding of impact investment, and capacity building for investors and investees. It also stresses the potential of impact investment to promote sustainable development in Bangladesh and calls for increased government support and private sector engagement to foster the growth of the impact investment ecosystem. It finalizes by recommending the development of a national impact investment strategy, the establishment of a dedicated impact investment fund, and the creation of a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration among stakeholders to create an enabling environment for impact investment in Bangladesh.”
Summary
“This report provides insights into the startup ecosystem of Bangladesh, first describing the limited access to capital and infrastructure, the lack of necessary skills, and the absence of a supportive regulatory framework that have impeded the growth and development of startups in Bangladesh. It aims to identify the current state of the startup ecosystem in Bangladesh, exploring the challenges faced by startups, and analyzing the trends in startup investment in the country. It points to the significant growth in the number of startups and the total amount of investment in the sector, along with the increasing interest of foreign investors in Bangladesh’s startup ecosystem, and the need for policy reforms and infrastructure development as imperatives to create a more conducive environment for startups to grow. Finally, the report highlights the potential of the startup sector to drive economic growth and job creation in Bangladesh and calls for increased government support and private investment to foster the growth of the startup ecosystem.”
Building the Green Economy
Climate change and environmental degradation place significant stress on India’s biodiversity, food supply, water and energy security, and human health. The private sector will play a critical role in achieving these objectives, particularly growth-oriented entrepreneurship that can bring new ideas into practice, introduce technical innovations, and create demand for new environmentally friendly goods and services. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), green entrepreneurs address climate change and/or create a positive environmental value either through the process of delivering products/services (e.g., utilizing clean technologies) or by working in a green sector (e.g., waste management). Such entrepreneurs tackle climate change from multiple angles.
This report establishes a baseline understanding of the state of green entrepreneurship in India by assessing existing business models, the available financial and technical support for entrepreneurs, and key sectoral issues regarding the policy landscape and market opportunity. The purpose of the study is to inform decision-makers, such as policymakers, donors, investors, and business development service providers, of the primary trends, opportunities, and challenges in the green entrepreneurial ecosystem in India.
Summary
“The SME Climate Hub 2023 Survey is a comprehensive report based on a survey of 2,800 SMEs from around the world conducted in late 2022. The report delves into the current state of climate action and sustainable business practices in SMEs. According to the survey findings, SMEs are becoming increasingly concerned about climate change and are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact. However, many SMEs continue to face significant challenges in implementing sustainable practices, such as a lack of access to finance and technical expertise. The report also emphasizes the importance of governments and financial institutions in assisting SMEs in making the transition to more sustainable business practices. Overall, the SME Climate Hub 2023 Survey offers useful insights into the challenges and opportunities that SMEs face as they navigate the transition to a more sustainable future.”
Summary
“Firms in developing countries struggle to recruit effective employees, due in part to their reliance on traditional recruitment networks such as family, friends, and referrals. This can limit the quantity and quality of potential hires and constrain the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These hiring constraints can also limit employment opportunities for job seekers, especially in countries where SMEs employ a large share of the labor force. This research examines the impact of online job portals on reducing hiring frictions in the Indian labor market, using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) methodology. The study finds that firms in developing countries are more likely to fill a job vacancy when they receive both, larger pools of applicants (Scale), and identity verification of applicants (Verification) online job portal interventions, compared to receiving only one of them. The study suggests that online job portals can provide a source for suitable employees outside of traditional networks, especially for smaller employers who may have less capacity to screen applicants. The authors highlight the importance of addressing multiple recruitment challenges in tandem for online job portals to alleviate constraints on recruitment in emerging markets.”
Sommaire
“Durant la pandémie, les organisations de soutien aux entrepreneurs ont rapidement pivoté et ont commencé à offrir un grand nombre de leurs services de manière virtuelle. La grande majorité (77%) des organisations de soutien membres de l’ANDE ont déclaré avoir ajusté leur programmation pour continuer à fonctionner dans un contexte pandémique. Maintenant que les mesures de confinement sont en grande partie terminées et que l’activité économique redémarre, les organisations de soutien doivent décider si elles doivent continuer à offrir un soutien virtuel aux entrepreneurs, revenir au mode en personne ou adopter une approche hybride pour conserver les avantages des programmes virtuels et en personne. Pour comprendre l’efficacité du soutien virtuel pendant cette période d’expérimentation forcée, l’ANDE a utilisé des enquêtes et des entretiens pour recueillir les points de vue des entrepreneurs et des intermédiaires sur ce qui a fonctionné – et ce qui n’a pas fonctionné – dans le passage à la programmation virtuelle. Le rapport examine dans quelle mesure le passage à la programmation virtuelle a été facile ou difficile pour les organisations de soutien, les ramifications de ce passage sur la composition des entrepreneurs participants et le contenu du programme, les niveaux de satisfaction des entrepreneurs vis-à-vis de la programmation virtuelle, et les explications possibles sur les divergences de satisfaction entre les différents programmes qui ont participé à l’étude. Enfin, ce rapport résume les leçons apprises et fournit des recommandations aux organismes de soutien qui s’efforcent d’améliorer la programmation virtuelle à l’avenir. Cette recherche a été rendue possible grâce au soutien généreux de Make-IT in Africa, un projet mis en œuvre par Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH au nom du Ministère Fédéral de la Coopération Economique et du Développement (BMZ).“
Summary
“During the pandemic, entrepreneur support organizations quickly pivoted and began offering many of their services virtually. The vast majority (77%) of support organizations within ANDE’s membership reported adjusting their programming to continue to operate in a pandemic context. Now that lockdowns have largely ended and economic activity is recovering, support organizations need to decide whether to continue with virtual entrepreneurial support, revert to in-person mode, or adopt a hybrid approach to retain the benefits of both virtual and in-person programming. To understand the effectiveness of virtual support during this forced experimentation period, ANDE used surveys and interviews to gather perspectives from both entrepreneurs and intermediaries on what worked – and what did not – in the shift to virtual programming. The report examines how smooth or cumbersome the shift to virtual programming was for support organizations, the ramifications of that shift on the composition of participating entrepreneurs and program content, entrepreneurs’ satisfaction levels with virtual programming, and potential explanations for divergent satisfaction levels between the various programs that participated in the study. Finally, this report summarizes lessons learned and provides recommendations for support organizations striving to improve virtual programming in the future. This research was made possible with the generous support from Make-IT in Africa, a project implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).“
Summary
This learning brief summarizes lessons learned across two of ANDE’s Advancing Women’s Empowerment Fund (AWEF) cohorts in Africa and Asia. The eleven AWEF grantees had similar experiences across their different regions and time periods, most notably in regards to the approaches and programming that are most successful and impactful in reaching women entrepreneurs. This evidence suggests that women entrepreneurs may face similar barriers to investment across varied geographies – and further, the solutions and programmatic adjustments that have found success may be more similar than we think.
Summary
Climate change and environmental degradation pose a significant threat to Kenya’s economy. The private sector will play a critical role in helping Kenya transition to a green economy, particularly growth-oriented entrepreneurship that can bring new ideas into practice, introduce technical innovations, and create demand for new environmentally friendly goods and services. Green entrepreneurs – those that address climate change and/or create a positive environmental value either through the process of delivering products/services (e.g., utilizing clean technologies) or by providing products or services in a green sector (e.g., waste management ) according to the International Labour Organization (ILO) – tackle climate change from multiple angles.
This report establishes a baseline understanding of the state of green entrepreneurship in Kenya by assessing existing business models, the available financial and technical support for entrepreneurs, and key sectoral issues regarding the policy landscape and market opportunity. The purpose of the study is to inform decision-makers, such as policymakers, donors, investors, and business development service providers, of the primary trends, opportunities, and challenges in the green entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kenya.