Acting for a more sustainable and resilient economy

Local economic development and enterprise are key drivers of sustainable and resilient growth. Proparco's action aims to guarantee access to essential goods, support businesses in crisis contexts and develop more inclusive business models.

In the least developed, low-income and/or conflict-affected countries, where geopolitical or climate crises are have weakened economies, Proparco works to strengthen local economic systems, facilitate post-crisis recovery and create opportunities for women, young people and small businesses.

Supporting small businesses, drivers of local transformation

Incubators, investment funds, banks and microfinance institutions: Proparco relies on a large network of local partners to finance and support MSMEs in strategically important sectors (agriculture, health, energy, etc.).

Choose Africa: accelerating the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in Africa

Through the Choose Africa initiative, the AFD Group provides African start-ups, micro-businesses and SMEs with a full range of tools needed to finance and support them at different stages of their development. Since 2018, more than 66,000 businesses have benefited from nearly €4.5 billion in loans, guarantees and technical support.

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Supporting local production and value chains

Proparco supports the development of industrial capacities to reduce dependence on imports and strengthen local value chains. It has committed to the multilateral, inclusive FARM programme (Food & Agriculture Resilience Mission), initiated by France alongside the European Union, the G7 and the African Union to enhance global peace and security.

Food & Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM)

The FARM initiative aims to develop and strengthen local supply chains to reduce dependence on imports and encourage regional production. FARM is structured around three pillars: trade, to ease tensions on agricultural markets; solidarity, to support Ukrainian capacity and keep food prices at affordable levels; and production, to sustainably consolidate agricultural capacities in the most affected areas.

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Investing in inclusive financial infrastructure and systems

Infrastructure (energy, telecommunications, transport and water) is essential to local economic vitality, opening up territories and improving living conditions for local people. This is also the case for local financial systems, which promote inclusion and access to economic opportunities.

Project focus – Supporting small players in Senegal’s agriculture sector

In 2024, Proparco granted a €10 million loan to microfinance institution ACEP Senegal, which has been supporting small players in the agri-food sector for over thirty years – especially microbusinesses and SMEs owned or managed by women, by providing them with savings and loan solutions.

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