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Although social impact funds provide loans for enterprises aimed at having social impact, these funds seem to focus mostly on the business’ financial sustainability and much less on the likelihood that the business will generate the desired social...

In 2010, Dutch policy for development cooperation was urged by experts to focus on agriculture as one of the areas where the Netherlands has an international comparative advantage. At the time, this prompted the minister in charge of development t...

The Malian government should consider local government their main ally in creating youth employment.

Although 90% of businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa’s markets are small and medium enterprises (SMEs), they do not play a significant role in current GDP growth. However, SMEs can lead a much-needed economic diversification, explore new sectors and b...

Female participation in entrepreneurial activities is higher in Sub-Saharan Africa than in any other region. But is this a success story for the integration of women in the labour market?

Young people represent more than 60% of Africa's population. Entrepreneurship, if supported through the right policies, can provide an effective solution to persistent youth unemployment.

Innovative early stage ventures that potentially have a high social and environmental impact, but require less than €1 million in capital are the most difficult segment of the SME pipeline to reach. Yet their potential for growth is immense.

Can Africa’s rural economy create enough jobs for predominantly young job-seekers?

In post-conflict Mali individuals with an increased sense of security are exploring new opportunities to venture into economic activity.

Support to SMEs in fragile and conflict-affected states has become a priority for the international development community. Yet thorough analysis of the broader institutional context in which these SMEs operate is needed to explain inequalities in...

How informal micro and small enterprises can (if they should at all) make the transition into formal enterprises and how this would affect their growth and employment structure

Of 48,000 African migrants in Israel, the majority are asylum seekers from Sudan and Eritrea. If it is done right, entrepreneurship can play a vital role in integrating these refugees into Israeli society and responding to market niches.

Egypt has invested in its female labour force since the 1960s. Yet women-led businesses remain rare. Alia El Mahdi provides insight into the underlying challenges and gives policy recommendations for the effective promotion of female entrepreneurs.

After microfinance, the ‘missing middle’ is the new buzzword for SME development experts. Klaas Molenaar recommends to take a look into the history of microfinance to question the hype.

Upgrading a micro enterprise to a small or medium-sized business requires more than a good business environment.

In conflict-affected societies, entrepreneurship promotion plays a crucial role in harvesting young people's innovative potential and in stirring economic growth on a national level.But what do those entrepreneurs really need?

There is no limit to human capacity for innovation – the bedrock of entrepreneurship. Only three basic pillars can lay the foundation for sustainable business growth.

SMEs can and need to play an important role in securing and creating new jobs, if development programmes revert their focus to job creation with the help of effective trainings and restructured access to finance.

The US may be witnessing the beginning of a return to stakeholder capitalism.

On 15 May, The Broker and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-organized an expert meeting with the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The 25 participants – a mix of researchers from knowledge institutes, civil servants and representativ...

Although governments and development agencies see farming as an important engine for job creation, rural non-farm businesses do not seem to generate enough work.

Women seem to be more attracted to start or participate in social enterprises (SEs) than in ‘regular’ business practices. While gender inequality persists in traditional entrepreneurship, SEs appear to experience fewer discrepancies between men an...

Western governments are increasingly reframing their rhetoric of engagement in fragile and conflict-affected areas around the development of a vibrant private sector. But how does this ‘new’ approach work in practice? Who are the ‘new’ beneficiari...

Small business are crucial in creating an inclusive economy. But the World Bank’s Doing Business Report does not focus on the most important issues they face.

South American countries are experimenting with the social and solidarity economy (SSE) model. It’s time for the West to learn from them, argues Milford Bateman.

The problems experienced by microfinance are a good example of what is needed to achieve an inclusive economy. For example, it tends to be blind to social and psychological costs.

How can we create a more inclusive economy and what obstacles lie in the way? This debate seeks answers.

Investing in the domestic agricultural and food sector automatically means investing in domestic entrepreneurship, in the development of local SMEs and in strengthening national economic and innovative capacities.

On 18 January 2010, the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) presented its report ‘Less pretension, more ambition: development aid that makes a difference’ to the Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation, Mr Bert Koenders

Roldan Muradian and Ellen Magnus discuss some of the current entrepreneurial challenges faced by producer organizations, including building strategic alliances with the development and private sectors.

Jim Woodhill blogged for The Broker from the Convergence of Science conference in Ghana which focused on strengthening innovation systems for agriculture and rural poverty reduction.