Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) account for 90% of registered businesses in the country and account for the bulk of private sector employment.


The Business Development Services (BDS) Fund was set up as part of the MSMEs project, to assist with matching funds to improve on the ability of the small scale business to get expert advice from consultants to improve their operations.

Currently, the value of the fund stands at 6.5 million dollars. Out of this, 4.5 million is earmarked for MSMEs and the remaining two million dollars for banks.

BDS Fund intends supporting up to 400 companies and associations with grants to enable them to become more competitive in the local and international market place and enhance their access to loans.

The Ghana Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Project aims to enhance the competitive and employment levels of Ghanaian MSMEs through supporting entrepreneurship development and developing and strengthening the capacity of local intermediaries to deliver financial and non-financial services to MSMEs as well as building the capacity of MSMEs to make productive use of these services.

Access to Finance

The MSME project as part of its broad objectives seeks to develop the market for non financial services to enterprises to help MSMEs outsource the vital functions they cannot access on their own.
The MSME Project also seeks to enhance the capacity of banks to offer credit to SMEs in a more efficient manner

• Increase the creditworthiness of prospective clients of the partner banks, thus increasing the number of new SME loans
• Help SMEs that have received loans from the partner banks to remain bankable, thus reducing the number of non-performing loans
• Help business service providers to help expand services tailored for target SMEs
• Support financial institutions that wish to develop and expand term lending to SMEs or to develop additional financial instruments suitable for SMEs

Access to Markets

• Stimulate demand by eligible MSMEs for non-financial services that can improve their productivity and competitiveness 
• Enable BDS providers to develop and market specialized BDS that are appropriate and affordable to MSMEs 
• Improve market information and public-private dialogue through support to business associations and policy advocacy groups.  
• Facilitate linkages between MSMEs and larger firms and markets through support to clusters of firms or lead firms working with such clusters of MSME suppliers.

EGhana Project

• Matching grants for public and private training providers to create a skill-based workforce of trainers and professionals for the Business Process Offshoring sector
• Performance-based subsidies matching grants for providers of incubation services to support the creation of businesses with activities in the ITES cluster
• Quality Assurance matching grant for the development of a software testing facility in Ghana providing certification to ICT SMEs on relevant international standards
• Expected outcome of the eGhana Project include:
• Increased employment and income generation in the ICT/ITES sector
• Increased competitiveness of the ICT/ITES industry in Ghana and opportunities for local businesses
• Increased human capacity in the ICT/ITES sector
• More effective, transparent and accountable government
• Increased engagement of the private sector with the Government

For further information please contact us.