A capacity building program to strengthen the performances of West African SMEs

SMEs account for 90% of all businesses in Africa. Some of the barriers to these SMEs’ survival and growth include a lack of management skills and good business practices, as well as access to capital.

Studies show that theoretical training, focused on the acquisition of general skills, has little effect on the performance of most businesses. AMI's methodology is based on these studies, which have shown that the introduction of certain organizational practices has a direct impact on businesses’ growth and prosperity.

The approach of AMI's "Grow Your Business" training focuses on strengthening three areas: business sustainability, business growth, and job creation.

“Grow Your Business” aims to equip entrepreneurs with core skills, tools, and strategies to grow their businesses, lead teams and diversify revenue streams. This 6 month program is based on a blended learning approach, combining in-person training, group learning, and interactive online webinars. It also gives access to an online platform where practical resources, tools and course materials are made available for business leaders. It can be customized for various languages and markets, including Arabic, French, Swahili, and Wolof.

FID’s funding will support the team in the implementation of a pilot and in the design of a new Randomized Control Trial (RCT) in Senegal to evaluate the effect of the program on targeted communities.

This pilot project will involve 100 companies in Senegal and determine the extent to which it succeeds to:

• Help SMEs grow and create jobs
• Help entrepreneurs overcome barriers and keep pushing to reach their long-term growth goals
• Prove to be broadly applicable in the African context and therefore ready to be scaled across the continent for significant impact