The USAID Zambia Enterprise Development and Growth Enhanced (EDGE) Activity is a five-year $14.5 million activity that aims to create jobs and increase the profitability of small-and-medium sized agricultural enterprises (SMEs) in Zambia. To achieve this aim, the Activity will improve the SMEs’ competitiveness and access to finance. Many of these SMEs currently struggle to access financing, often lack business management skills and technology or have limited access to markets.
Over the next five years, ACDI/VOCA will boost their competitiveness by addressing these constraints. The Activity will use a facilitative approach and work closely with and through local partners to drive lasting systemic changes that create sustainable impact at scale. ACDI/VOCA will also apply its inclusive market systems approach, which addresses the root causes, rather than the symptoms, of a poorly performing market.
Request for Proposal
- Request for proposal (Extended deadline: July 15, 2023)
- Appendix B
- Appendix C
- Frequently asked questions
Project Objectives
1) Increase access to finance for agricultural SMEs
2) Increase the competitiveness for agricultural SMEs
Project Activities and Approaches
- Strengthen the ability of financial service providers to serve SMEs
- Catalyze growth of non-bank financial institutions
- Strengthen SMEs’ management and marketing capacity
- Improve network input/output relationships
Anticipated Project Results
- Achieve a 2,500 net increase in full-time equivalent jobs across targeted SMEs (with 30% women and 40% youth)
- Achieve a 20 percent increase in SME revenue at midline and endline
- Achieve a 15 percent increase in SME profits at midline and endline
- Facilitate 80 percent of targeted SMEs accessing finance after USG assistance
- 20 percent of targeted SMEs are female-owned
Funder: USAID
Chief of Party: Jean-Frederic Beauchesne, jbeauchesne@acdivoca.org
Project Director: Nadia Namken, nnamken@acdivoca.org
Contact: Luisa Beltran Rey, lbeltranrey@acdivoca.org
Related News
How a Virtual Business-to-Business Meeting Introduced a Zambian Farming Enterprise to New Buyers
Salima Lungu launched her business, C&S Agro, in 2011 in the Chibombo District of Zambia. Now, a decade later, she …
Business Digitization Helps USAID EDGE SME Owner Increase Business Demand
Mercy Chisi Sakala is the owner of MC Sangwani Limited, an agribusiness venture specializing in the supply of agricultural inputs, …
$20 Million Loan Guarantee for SMEs Launches in Zambia with Support of Local Government, Donors, and Private Sector
A newly launched loan guarantee program in Zambia has the potential to significantly impact the lives of small- and medium-sized …
