Date: May 19
Location: Washington DC +Webinar

Donors and governments around the world looking to boost inclusive growth have focused on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for their employment and innovation potential. In the past, few have evaluated their SME programs rigorously, resulting in a shallow empirical basis for understanding what works and where. Recently, a team of researchers, with the support of the Campbell Collaboration, has taken a broader look at rigorous impact evaluations on this question.

With its focus on inclusive growth and evidence-based policy-making, USAID is pleased to host this upcoming Microlinks seminar. Caio Piza of the World Bank will present findings from a new, systematic review of impact evaluations on SME development interventions in low and middle-income countries, ahead of its publication. Joao Montalvao, also of the World Bank, will discuss his team's experience with impact evaluations on SME development as well as an ongoing project in Mozambique that offers matching grants for business development services. Come find out what we've collectively learned to date about SME development interventions and participate in a discussion that moves us toward identifying best practices in this area.