Breaking Down the Barriers for Inclusive Businesses

This project intends to increase the capacity of the private sector to implement profitable inclusive business IB) projects in order to increase incomes, employment and access to basic services for 18,000 households at the base of the pyramid.

The project has the following objectives:

• To institutionalise provision of IB development services;

• To scale up high impact IB models though creating qualified IB service providers;

• To contribute to a more enabling environment.

BCSDZ (Business Council for Sustainable Development in Zimbabwe) and RCSR (Regional Centre for Social Responsibility) are currently the main partners in this project. Locally, there are a number of organisations that are supporting private sector development and through the IB Forum they keep us up to date with trends and activities.

Achievements:

• We have trained a pool of 10 consultants with various sector skills. These consultants have assisted over 20 companies with IB scans and feasibility studies.

• We have received over 50 IB scan applications. 30 have proceeded to feasibility study stage, from which 12 accessed pilot grants and the remainder managed to solicit funds from other investment vehicles such as the Create Fund, Matching Grants Facility and YETT.

• We have supported expansion plans of companies who want to introduce new small-holder farmers to new high value crops. We have done this through contract farming and targeted training to new farmers.

• Due to its strong links with other projects and sectors, the programme has upscaled its models to the WASH sector, resulting in two capacity building projects: My-Pads (reusable sanitary wear) and PetrecoZim (PET recycling and solid waste management).

• The programme has also handed over three projects to other agricultural projects such as RARP-CSF: Sidella (Sesame Seed production), MilkZim (dairy production) and Northern Farming (maize production).