Challenges:
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a pivotal role in Egypt’s economic growth, employment generation, and innovation; yet they continue to face numerous challenges, including regulatory barriers, limited access to finance, and weak institutional support.
To address these issues, the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) established an SME Department to enhance its capacity to advocate for SMEs and promote their contribution to national development. However, the Department required technical support to operationalize its mandate, build staff capacity, and refine its tools for assessing SME needs and policy impacts.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) partnered with FEI to strengthen its SME Department and develop the frameworks, tools, and processes necessary to effectively represent and support Egypt’s SME community.
Solutions:
Arab African Advisers (AAA) was engaged to provide technical and coaching support to the FEI SME Department. Key activities included:
Impact:
Through AAA’s support, FEI’s SME Department enhanced its institutional capacity to assess and advocate for SME-friendly policies. The improved SME Test Manual provided FEI with a practical tool to evaluate how proposed laws and regulations affect SMEs, ensuring that policymaking processes are more inclusive and evidence-based.
By coaching FEI staff through the piloting phase, AAA helped institutionalize consultative and analytical practices that strengthened FEI’s role as a credible voice for the private sector. The project laid the groundwork for sustainable advocacy and capacity-building initiatives to further support SME development in Egypt.
Tailored Advisory Services
