"The report, aimed at donors, underscores the transformative potential of reevaluating funding for Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs) and its profound impact on the sustainability and scalability of services that bolster Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). SMEs are vital contributors to economic growth, particularly in emerging markets, offering innovation, employment opportunities, and societal and environmental advancements. These SMEs rely on Business Development Services (BDS) provided by ESOs. However, current funding often prioritizes short-term quantity over long-term quality. The report emphasizes the pivotal role of donor relationships in fostering ESO growth and sustainable service delivery. By analyzing the growth trajectories of prominent ESOs globally and the role of donors in their development, the report provides recommendations for more effective donor engagement to enhance sustained impact. Using the metaphor of trees, it distinguishes visible aspects (services provided) from less apparent ones (culture, governance, finance, systems) and stresses the need for balanced growth across dimensions to achieve sustained impact. Shifting donor practices towards comprehensive organizational development of promising ESOs is likened to nurturing a tree for consistent, quality fruit production at significant scale over time."

"Blended finance solutions offer the potential to combine development capital with a variety of financial instruments such as impact bonds, concessional capital, and risk mitigation structures. We consistently see that deployment of these instruments is limited because of the inherent complexity and cost. But more so, due to a lack of awareness and standardization among capital providers. Without addressing these core issues, enterprises are deemed too risky, and the potential for social and financial returns may not be realized. Through this report, we aim to raise awareness about the importance of enabling funding for social enterprises – understanding their unique characteristics and challenges in capital raising – and articulate the key issues involved in applying blended finance to SMEs. We hope to simplify current bespoke solutions to build replicable and scalable financing solutions. We propose solutions that include building capacity of enterprises, embedding sustainability into the design of instruments, simplifying impact management, and creating open databases on blended finance transactions."

"Decentralised Renewable Energy (DRE) technologies enable an equitable energy transition and ensure energy security for many emerging and developing economies. Unlocking finance for users and enterprises is critical to mainstreaming these technologies for a just energy transition. This policy brief, published by the T20 Taskforce, outlines the challenges with financing currently faced by the ecosystem stakeholders. It builds upon the policy framework released by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India, for scaling the adoption of DRE livelihood technologies in India. It explores how DRE can be mainstreamed in the energy transition conversation and scale the adoption of these technologies leveraging the G20 network and resources."

"This report is an output of the ANDE Gender Action Lab. Authored by Villgro and LEAD At Krea University, this report publishes insights from a survey of over 800 SMEs on how women entrepreneurs access finance in the country. Combining insights from the desk research, demand-side survey and supply-side key informant interviews, the report suggests recommendations across three verticals: program, process and product, with government initiatives as anchors for scaling up."

"In 2016, the United Nations established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”,1 with goal five focusing specifically on gender equality. While progress has been made, women and girls continue to face a myriad of barriers to achieve the same quality of life as their male counterparts, be it in education, political participation, or business investment to name but a few.

Women entrepreneurs are of particular focus in the international development community; while active in the entrepreneurial space, there is significant evidence that women business owners face unique challenges compared to men business owners - often overlooked in terms of investment and business support services. This is particularly pronounced in developing economies."

"This report is an output of the ANDE Gender Action Lab. Authored by Villgro and LEAD At Krea University, this report publishes insights from a survey of over 800 SMEs on how women entrepreneurs access finance in the country. Combining insights from the desk research, demand-side survey and supply-side key informant interviews, the report suggests recommendations across three verticals: program, process and product, with government initiatives as anchors for scaling up."

"The report delves into the effectiveness and impact of various business support initiatives, employing rigorous research methodologies such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The key topics covered include the effectiveness of accelerator programs, talent acquisition for SMEs, recordkeeping and data collection, impact measurement and management (IMM) frameworks, and support for women-led businesses. It also offers valuable insights for policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs to make informed decisions, fostering sustainable growth and success within the business ecosystem. Recommendations underscore the importance of evidence-backed practices for talent acquisition, recordkeeping, and gender-sensitive approaches to support women entrepreneurs."

"This report studies the opportunities and challenges in investing in India’s creative manufacturing and handmade (CMH) sector and the role of catalytic capital in supporting the same. This first-of-its-kind mapping finds that craft-led MSMEs operating in the CMH sector and broadly across the nation’s cultural economy face development and growth challenges that affect their ability to scale and grow. A primary challenge is the financing gap faced by MSMEs in the sector. We make the case for why these enterprises need the right financing, at the right time, in the right place, and offering the right conditions. Catalytic capital offers an untapped opportunity to build an entirely new ecosystem of financing that can catalyse and nurture new markets while driving much needed social change."

"The whitepaper discusses the problem of gender inequity in funding outcomes for women-founded startups, both globally and in India. The research aimed to understand the gender gaps in funding outcomes among investors and identify opportunities for improvement. The study utilized data from the Tracxn database, global benchmarks, and interviews with stakeholders in the investment ecosystem. Key findings include the concentration of funding in a few sectors and cities, the growth of women-founded companies in recent years, and the lack of gender diversity in investment teams. The report also highlights case studies of organizations that practice gender-smart funding and offers recommendations for fostering gender lens investment in India. It emphasizes the need for data tracking, a change in investment processes, and the promotion of gender diversity in firms to improve funding outcomes for women entrepreneurs. The report suggests a targeted approach with a dedicated team and industry-wide engagement to create a sustainable and robust platform for gender lens investment in India."

"Access to capital is crucial for fostering entrepreneurship, fueling business growth, and enhancing productivity. Unfortunately, femaleentrepreneurs in developing countries face significant challenges securing formal financial support and making lower profits than maleentrepreneurs. While the evidence on the gendered investment gap is well documented, scant evidence-based studies investigatewhether the disparity arises from investor bias. Authors Shibiru Ayalew, Shanthi Manian, and Ketki Sheth implemented a large-scale field experiment in a high-stakes natural context to identify whether loan officers exhibit discriminatory behavior in capital allocation decisions for businesses inEthiopia. The experimental study showed no evidence that financial providers discriminate against women-owned businesses in reviewing loan applications."