International Development Grant
Equitable Prosperity Through Private Sector Development in Kenya
Project Number: CA-3-D000375001
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $18,426,556.00
Start Date: July 21, 2015
End Date: July 31, 2022
Duration: 7.0 years
Project Description
The project aims to create sustainable economic growth and reduce economic disparities by supporting the development of profitable competitive small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture construction and extractives sectors in Kenya. The project expects to reach 20 000 women and men entrepreneurs to manage successful businesses and sustain the profitability and competitiveness of 250 targeted SMEs/lead firms who respond to market opportunities. Project activities include: (1) conducting a study on the supply chains or sequence of processes involved in the production and distribution of commodities in the agriculture construction and extractives sectors; (2) training and providing advisory services to small entrepreneurs to help them improve their business plans business models and market analyses; (3) establishing strategic alliances among small entrepreneurs traders SME suppliers and financing entities; and (4) facilitating Kenyan private equity investment firms' investment in frontier SMEs.
Expected Results
The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: 1) increased enterprise profitability and community-economic growth led by targeted female and male small entrepreneurs who apply gender-equitable and environmentally sustainable practices in the selected sectors and locations; and 2) improved profitability and competitiveness of targeted SMEs who respond to market opportunities while applying gender equitable and green business practices in the selected sectors and locations.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved at the end of the project (March 2023): (1) increased profitability competitiveness and resilience of Kenyan women and men in small enterprises. This helped to facilitate more equitable distribution of wealth in high-poverty drought-prone and food-insecure counties across the country while applying gender-equitable and climate-smart business practices; (2) increased incomes employment and production of 52 090 small entrepreneurs and smallholder farmers (54% are women) through access to innovative and environmental technologies markets enhanced knowledge and business alliances. They achieved these results by working with 25 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) acting as lead firms (24% are women-led) primarily in the agribusiness sector; (3) provided business development and advisory services through intermediary organizations to an additional 276 SMEs (of which 58% are women-led); and (4) attracted more than CAN$16 million in private capital made available to Kenyan SMEs through partner private equity funds. This allowed 43 SMEs (30% are women-led) supported by this project to benefit from the funding to expand their business operations and access to external markets.
Key Information
Executing Agency:
Mennonite Economic DevelopmentAssociates of Canada
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
WGM Africa
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Project-type interventions
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Unsolicited Proposal