SouthAsia Enterprise Development Facility
The SouthAsia Enterprise Development Facility was established in 2002 as a facility for assisting sustained growth and development of Small and Medium Enterprises, in order to reduce poverty in South Asia. SEDF is managed by IFC, in partnership with DFID and NORAD. SEDF’s goal is to enhance the performance, competitiveness and growth of SMEs in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and North East India. It does so by helping SMEs access finance, sustain their value chains and operate in a better business environment.
The Access to Finance (A2F) business line works with the financial intermediaries in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Northeast India (NEI), to build their capacity in financing SMEs. SEDF works to support its Partner Financial Institutions to increase their access to finance for SMEs as well as develop new and standardized the products targeted for SMEs. Additionally, SEDF promotes sustainability by assisting financial institutions develop products that take environment and social risks into account and helps them identify and invest in innovative environment related business opportunities.
The Sustainable Value Chain (SVC) business line aims to increase the competitiveness of SMEs in selected sectors by addressing the overriding market failures. SVC focuses on developing key economic sectors by engaging directly with private sector firms, service providers and trade associations in the sector value chains. SVC leverages these engagements to scale up interventions into broader, more sustainable market development activities. Sector selection and project design are made with a view to help mitigate environment and social risks. SVC key sectors include (i) Agribusiness, (ii) Light Engineering and (iii) Textiles.
The Business Enabling Environment (BEE) business line works to facilitate the easing of constraints to business operation, formation and expansion in Nepal, Bhutan and North East India. BEE projects contribute to improving the investment climate in these countries to create new jobs and generate foreign and domestic investment; reduce the cost of doing business; and address regulatory constraints.
