Beginning with two core requirements, GBI seeks activities that meet the following criteria:

• Grassroots Benefits: Generates substantial economic benefits at the grassroots level in a developing country, involving very poor and marginalized people as partners, suppliers, consumers and/or beneficiaries.
• Business Opportunity: Supports a business opportunity, defined as the sale of products or services. Grassroots Business Organizations (GBOs) pursuing the business can be either for-profit or not-for-profit.

A potential GBI activity should also demonstrate:

• Sustainability: As measured across four criteria: financial viability, economic efficiency, environmental impact and social impact.
• Broad and Catalytic Impact: Through replication, scaling-up or working with intermediaries.
• Demonstrated and Incremental Need: GBI assistance should overcome specific obstacles or risks. Non grant mechanisms such as loans or guarantees are preferred to grants wherever appropriate.
• Capacity for Growth: GBO leadership team should be open-minded and interested to pursue new approaches.
• Performance Based: GBO should be, or want to become, driven by results, through the use of performance targets that allow for monitoring and evaluation of impacts.

In addition, GBI will give preference to activities that show:

• Leverage through funding from other sources.
• Good Track Record and are now looking to expand.
• Partnerships with external organizations.
• Efficiency through consistency with GBI’s geographic and industry focal areas and synergy with other World Bank Group programs