SUPPORT PROGRAMME FOR RURAL MICROENTERPRISE POLES AND REGIONAL ECONOMIES - PROSPERER – MADAGASCAR

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES Programme goal : To increase rural poor incomes by consolidating Rural MicroEnterprises (RMEs) at local and regional levels Specific objectives : To create and support a network of professional to meet rural enterprises’needs ; To contribute to the formulation of a national policy and institutional framework in support of RMEs development ; To improve the RMEs competitiveness in order to boost the clusters and value chains performance with linkages to regional growth poles ; To enable entrepreneurs access to sustainable financial and non-financial services and markets in a favorable risk management context ; To establish an enabling environment for the modernization of rural value chains.

MAIN COMPONENTS Five (05) components : (i) RMEs identification and mobilization ; (ii) BDS for RMEs and vocational training ; (iii) Rural finance and risk management ; (iv) Market infrastructure and enabling investments ; (v) Monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management and communication.

MAIN ACTIVITIES The Program will provide existing small-scale entrepreneurs from five most densely populated regions with a range of business development services, from training services to improved technologies, to overcome bottlenecks and to support economic growth. Beneficiaries will also have better access to financial products and services, such as micro-finance and insurance schemes. The Program will offer professional and apprenticeships training to other young people and adults who want to create their own microenterprises along key value chains. It will also help strengthen public-private partnerships with professional federations, the Government and the Trade Chamber Federation.

MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS RMEs identification and mobilization 21 value chains diagnosis studies, Inventory of RMEs and validation of RMEs to be supported, Establishment of 19 multi-services “one-stop shop”, 50 enterprise advisers trained and operational, Public partners trained in order to enable the environment for rural value chains modernization, Elaboration of 1233 business plans, Training of 309 basic organizations and 22 professional organizations.

MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS BDS for RMEs and vocational training 77 Service Providers trained in diagnosis, 429 Service Providers trained in technique and quality, 95 Service Providers trained in management and accounting, 68 Service Providers trained in Marketing, 32 Service Providers trained in entrepreneurship 38 Service Providers trained in savings and credit culture 47 Service Providers trained in andragogy 7159 RME trained in entrepreneurship, 5029 RME trained in savings and credit culture, 4594 RME trained in technique and quality, 3457 RME trained in Management and accounting, 2577 RME trained in Marketing, 1348 RME trained in technique and quality by their pairs. 214 young literate, 427 adults literate 1056 in apprenticeship 417 young people who completed the apprenticeship training. 214 young people receiving start-up kits