The Business Growth Initiative Project

A USAID Center of Excellence in Enterprise Development

USAID’s Office of Economic Growth of the Bureau for Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade (EGAT/EG) has established the Business Growth Initiative (BGI) project to promote best practices in enterprise development as a critical element for Economic Growth. BGI will serve as a key element in building a Community of Practice for Enterprise Development, both within USAID and its development partners and among the broader development community worldwide.

BGI seeks to provide technical leadership in enterprise development for USAID, for its development partners, and for the wider communities of practice in enterprise development. The project builds on the Enterprise Development Study and Handbook previously financed by EGAT/EG. It is meant to provide both direct and indirect assistance through project designs, project evaluations, research, technical briefs, workshops and seminars and through pilot demonstration projects. 

One of the primary aims of the BGI project is to assist USAID professionals and staff engaged in enterprise development activities to perform tasks more effectively, while promoting best practices in project implementation.

BGI does this through a variety of activities and products:

• Providing services to Missions and Bureaus through direct support in concept development, project designs, evaluations, assessments, development of economic growth strategies, and through the Enterprise Development Diagnostic (MEASURE) tool.
• Conducting original research to improve the bank of knowledge about enterprise development through short technical notes and longer research papers to guide intervention decisions to spur enterprise development, and thus economic growth.
• Hosting local and international workshops and trainings to build capacity and share knowledge on key practice areas in enterprise development.
• Compiling best practices and lessons learned in enterprise development, specifically related to the recommendations in the Enterprise Growth Initiatives: Strategic Directions and Options Study and Handbook.

This Knowledge Management portal serves as one of the main interfaces of the BGI project with USAID staff and other development professionals. The portal provides information on the research and work that BGI has done in the life of the project, and also provides a clearinghouse of information on enterprise development.

BGI is implemented by Weidemann Associates, Inc. (Prime Contractor) and by J.E. Austin Associates and Management Systems International (MSI) (Subcontractors).

For more information, please contact Kathleen Wu, the BGI Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) at USAID/Washington or Marialyce Mutchler, Project Director for Weidemann Associates.