India presents significant opportunities for new businesses to create value by leveraging agricultural, food and biomass waste. Agricultural biomass, which primarily consists of post-harvest crop residue and waste from livestock, is the largest source of waste in India – the country generates approximately 350 million tonnes annually. Agricultural and biomass waste generation is also expected to increase as food production increases, especially for staple and cash crops like rice, wheat, maize and cotton. Biomass is used in diverse applications from fodder for cattle and household cooking to the production of biogas, manure and renewable fuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel.

Biomass caters to a substantial portion of India’s rural energy demand, fulfilling approximately 80% of it. Low-cost biomass solutions play a particularly significant role in rural settings, where small-scale energy needs predominate. Conversely, more sophisticated biomass technologies are used in applications such as energy generation or fuel production, especially for large-scale operations. These opportunities relate to improved collection, waste-to-energy solutions, and diverse biomaterials.

To explore the feasibility of corporate partnerships for entrepreneurial ventures, this report investigates
the experiences of entrepreneurs who have successfully secured corporate procurement contracts in
various country contexts. Their journeys, best practices, and actionable strategies can serve as a roadmap
for entrepreneurs aspiring to navigate the complexities of corporate procurement. These case studies
not only highlight the innovative solutions these entrepreneurs have developed but also underscore the
importance of building strong relationships with corporations and understanding their procurement needs.

Mexico is a burgeoning economy, ranking as the second largest economy in Latin America. According to the OECD, there are at least four million SMEs in Mexico, most of which are microenterprises. However, both culturally and politically, Mexico is making efforts toward encouraging more growth-oriented entrepreneurship, with Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara becoming known as entrepreneurial hubs.

There is also a focus on entrepreneurship outside the major cities, with rural areas in Mexico increasing in employment opportunities and entrepreneurship rates. However, South and Southeast Mexico still lag behind the northern and central areas of the country.

There has been less research conducted specifically on entrepreneurship in South and Southeast Mexico, defined in this study as the states of Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz, and
Yucatán. A significantly greater proportion of the population in these southern states live in poverty compared to the rest of the country,7 and thus, how entrepreneurship may contribute to local economic growth in these regions is of interest to the international development community. A first step to understanding the current
support available to entrepreneurs is to identify the various actors in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The concept of gender-lens acceleration has taken hold in recent years, with various toolkits outlining how to be more gender inclusive at every step of the acceleration process, from selection to programming and alumni support. However, it is not well understood how effective these strategies have been in producing more equitable outcomes for women. This report aims to fill that information gap by synthesizing the research on accelerating women-led ventures, exploring case studies of two accelerator programs in Asia that have outsized impacts for such ventures, and spotlighting other programs with unique program models or perspectives.

This report is the result of a detailed study on ‘Regulatory Barriers and Levers for Deploying Foreign Catalytic Capital in Impact-Focused Enterprises, Funds & Facilities in India’ conducted by Desai & Associates (D&A) in partnership with Prime Coalition and with the support of the Lemelson Foundation. Overall, the study has the following key objectives:

1. Map the different financial pathways for aggregating US and European catalytic capital in India to support Indian social enterprises, defined as both for-profit and nonprofit enterprises with a social and/or environmental mission.
2. Assess the legal, structural, financial, and operational challenges of channeling capital via these pathways and identify potential solutions, including recommendations for possible intermediation to bring catalytic capital into India.
3. Develop a shared taxonomy for funders and recipients of catalytic capital, and create a public report useful to all stakeholders interested in bringing such capital into India. 

This paper highlights the importance of creating good-quality economic opportunities in middle income countries. It makes the case that harnessing the opportunities of frontier and emerging technologies is a pivotal investment opportunity. It also argues that digital transformation strategies should not be separate from job creation strategies, calling for a whole-of-government approach in collaboration with social partners. The paper concludes by providing examples of where innovative use of technology has led to good job creation in middle-income countries.

This paper marks the concluding milestone of the Global Future Council on Job Creation, building on its previous briefing paper, Key Issues Shaping and Driving Global Job Creation.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are at the heart of our economies and societies and play a crucial role in achieving global climate goals. They represent over 90% of businesses and 50% of greenhouse gas emissions globally.

Our research shows a growing paradox: while more SMEs recognize the importance of climate action, the barriers to taking effective action are also increasing. This widening gap demands urgent attention.

The challenge: the need to take climate action is intensifying, with more SMEs reporting that they have been directly impacted by climate change. 70% report experiencing direct effects on their business in the past year. These impacts include supply chain disruptions (39%), damage to assets or property (25%), and loss of productivity (24%).

East Africa is emerging as a vibrant hub for climate innovation, with a growing number of innovators and stakeholders developing solutions to address the region’s pressing climate challenges. The region's unique combination of urgent climate needs, a burgeoning tech ecosystem, and an increasing focus on sustainability has attracted significant attention from investors looking to support the advancement of climate action.

Within the East Africa climate ecosystem, stakeholder networks and relationships are crucial for ensuring the successful implementation of climate action policy and innovative solutions. Effective collaboration across the diverse stakeholders shaping the East Africa climate ecosystem, is key to fostering a more integrated and impactful approach for tackling climate challenges. Several factors influence how these stakeholders interact and collaborate within the climate ecosystem. These include the availability of funding, policy frameworks, technological infrastructure, and the strength of local entrepreneurial support systems.

This study examines the dynamics of climate innovation in East Africa, with a focus on the interactions, relationships and networks among key climate stakeholders. Qualitative and quantitative data collection was used to identify the enablers, barriers, and support needs critical to fostering a mature and integrated climate innovation ecosystem in the region. The insights provided in this report are aimed at informing stakeholders on the varying factors shaping interactions among key players in the ecosystem. Greater awareness of these dynamics can help reduce fragmentation in adaptation and mitigation efforts, while also enhancing the scalability of climate solutions to drive increased impact and inclusivity in East Africa’s climate ecosystem.

Donor funding plays a crucial role in advancing development goals across East Africa, not least in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya. These nations have made significant strides toward inclusive economic growth and improved infrastructure to enhance social impact, in part, due to the support of international donors, development agencies and philanthropic funds. However, as multiple organisations fund similar initiatives across these regions, questions arise about coherence, alignment, and potential duplication of efforts.

In the face of data paucity and indicator opaqueness, we aim to address a hypothesis: a lack of donor coherence is causing suboptimal allocation of resources. By ‘donor coherence’ we mean the degree of alignment between the objectives, processes, and priorities of various funding bodies, aiming to avoid redundancy and ensure that resources are used efficiently. Financial contributions should aim to nurture dynamic entrepreneurial environments while ensuring more effective use of public funds.

This report explores how donor coherence in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya impacts resource distribution across sectors, identifying potential overlaps and assessing the implications of these strategies. By assessing the activities funded and the thematic areas supported, we can gain insights into how donor coherence affects the overall impact of development assistance in East Africa.

The Gujarat State Women’s SEWA Cooperative Federation in India is a notable initiative that has inspired similar efforts around the world. SEWA, or the Self-Employed Women's Association, has adopted a dual strategy: organizing poor women workers in the informal economy in a union and promoting women owned cooperatives to empower them. These cooperatives offer improved employment and income generation opportunities, along with a range of services such as financial, insurance and social security services, as well as business and leadership training. Recently, the ILO has received requests from its constituents to better understand SEWA’s approach for potential adaptation and replication in Asia and beyond.

This report aims to explore the challenges and opportunities for cooperatives and other SSE entities in empowering women workers in the informal economy, with a specific focus on the experience of the SEWA Cooperative Federation. It draws on in-depth interviews with cooperative leaders and members, as well as relevant reports and studies. The report examines why and how SEWA has used the cooperative model and discusses the challenges the Federation faces in incubating and supporting women’s cooperatives and collective enterprises. It also features SEWA cooperatives from various sectors, including finance, insurance, childcare, dairy, organic agriculture, healthcare, waste management and cleaning services. Finally, the report identifies lessons learned and good practices that can guide efforts to adapt and replicate similar initiatives in other parts of the world.