The International Labour Organisation Start and Improve Your Business (ILO-SIYB) Regional Project Office for Eastern and Southern Africa has been studying Growth Oriented Enterprises over the past 4 years. In 1998 it embarked on a training delivery mechanism of working with private trainers in the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) programme. An evaluation of this approach in 2000 revealed that private trainers are more ‘market-oriented’ to reach entrepreneurs with growth potential and a capacity of high employment creation compared to trainers from partner organizations.

In 1999, the ILO SIYB Regional Project Office undertook a study whose aim was to establish and understand the characteristics of the target group of fast growing SMEs (GOEs) and how they can be identified. The study was undertaken in Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Uganda.

In 2000, a second phase of this study was undertaken to identify the needs of the GOEs and how these may be addressed. The study sought to identify the process that GOEs go through when they grow and the problems they experience. This study was conducted in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Uganda as well. As a result of this, the project concluded that the needs of GOEs were substantially different from those of the ILO SIYB target group. Hence a different support package, consisting of training and non-training interventions, was developed.

On the basis of the outline of the proposed GOE package, a market assessment study was then conducted in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Uganda. The market assessment included both supply (potential training providers), demand (growth entrepreneurs) and competition. At entrepreneurial level, the study aimed at assessing the effective demand from entrepreneurs for the package.

The findings indicate that the large majority, 90% of the targeted entrepreneurs, exist in the three countries and are interested in, and willing to pay a reasonable fee. In establishing the competition in the market, the study results indicate that none of the competitors have developed an assistance package for the specific GOE target group with such a comprehensive approach. In analysing the potential training providers, the study revealed that they are willing to deliver the proposed GOE package if they were provided with the ‘tools’. The potential training providers highlighted that the package has a strategic fit with their current product portfolio and delivery capacity. In addition, they felt that the proposed package would add value to their own training programmes.

If you wish to receive further information about the EYB programme, please e-mail here secretariat@ilosiyb.co.zw