Business Development Services Network

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) constitute the majority of businesses in the Gambia. However most of them are necessity-induced, still informal and continue to exhibit survivalist tendencies. These attributes make MSMEs less attractive for funding by financial institutions, thereby making them more vulnerable to both internal and external shocks. Compared to medium and large organisations, Micro and small enterprises, especially start-ups require more special services to survive.

Therefore, in order to leverage on the potentials of the MSME sector and enhance their contribution to economic growth, economic resilience, development, employment and poverty reduction as outlined in the national Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE) and the national development blueprint Vision 2020, there is a need for a more robust policy environment, institutional support, as well as strong vertical and horizontal networking among MSME operators and other institutional stakeholders. Such networks will help facilitate the sharing of best practices among MSME operators and ease access to specialised business development services through institutional linkages.