Category: MSMEs

Chemonics: Baseline Surveys for Several Value Chains Under the Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) Activity

February 19, 2021

The Lebanon Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) Activity implemented by Chemonics aims to equip the agribusiness sector and rural communities with the technical and financial resources to generate increased productivity, sales, and exports, improving producer income. InfoPro was commissioned to monitor ARE’s activities in order to identify the success of its program and to inform future activities. The sectors assessed included 1) the dairy value chain 2) Fresh and Processed Vegetables value chain 3) Herbs value chain 4) Grapes, Stone Fruits, and Citrus and 5) Potatoes, Alliums, and Fodder. Methodology: Desk research, a quantitative survey with 1,000 farmers, and in-depth interviews with 150 retailers, wholesalers, cooperatives, MSMEs.

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IFC: Digital financial services and the digitization of agricultural value chains

January 1, 2021

IFC aimed to increase access to financial services in Lebanon by providing financial institutions with Investment and Advisory Services. IFC appointed PPI and InfoPro to carry out an opportunity sizing/mapping of the financial services sector. An additional focus of the study was to identify opportunities (such as digitalization) for stakeholders within value chains, particularly with regard to supporting financial inclusion of small holder crop farmers. Methodology: Quantitative survey with 1,380 farmers, households, and MSMEs.

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IFC: Market Assessment of Asset-Based Lending (ABL) with focus on Supply Chain Finance (SCF)

January 1, 2021

Assessment for IFC of Asset-Based Lending (ABL) products in Lebanon with a focus on the SCF market. The study provided: 1) Review and quantification of the overall potential of SCF, demand for SCF, supply, and uncovered gaps across major industries, 2) Recommendations about possible actions for financial institutions in Lebanon to tap into the SCF opportunity, 3) List of the SCF technology platforms with their related key features and characteristics. Methodology: Desk research, Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group discussions, and surveys with MSMEs.

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ACTED: Building Resilient Communities: An Integrated Approach to Livelihoods and Income Generation for Vulnerable Populations

January 1, 2019

A study for ACTED to evaluate their multi-sector program. The main objective of the program was to Address Root Causes (ARC) of conflict and instability in Lebanon by creating for vulnerable individuals’ sustainable income-generating and livelihood opportunities. The program was implemented in Akkar, Tripoli, Mount Lebanon, Beirut, and Saida. 1,500 individuals, 19 SDCs, 3 TVET Institutes, 1 Vocational Training Center, 22 Artisans and 75 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) were targeted across Lebanon. The aim of the study was to assess the extent to which the project has met its objectives and to provide an external opinion on the relevance and performance of the project, as compared to the original plan. Methodology: 18 key informant interviews, 15 in-depth interviews and CATI surveys with 350 beneficiaries.

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USAID and Palladium: Final Performance Evaluation of the LIFE Project

January 1, 2017

A final evaluation was conducted of the Livelihood and Inclusive Financial Expansion (LIFE) project, administered by Palladium and financed by USAID. Methodology: Desk Research, focus groups, and an analytical report on the financial needs of microenterprises and alternative ways of local micro-financing.

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World Bank: Informal Enterprise Survey

January 1, 2011

A study for The World Bank. Assess informal enterprises and constraints to their growth. The study investigated the effect of the influx of the Syrian refugees on these businesses and the economy in general. Methodology: 1,000 interviews with informal businesses in Administrative Beirut, Tripoli, Zahle, and Saida. The owners of the informal businesses were Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, and Iraqi. The interviews investigated the location of informal businesses, their infrastructure, whether they have faced security issues or had to pay for protection, their sales activity and how it has been affected by the presence of Syrian entrepreneurs / business owners, their financial status and assets, their labor force and the percentage consisting of Syrian refugees, and whether they would consider registering their businesses. The data gathered assisted the World Bank with developing policies and programs that would enhance employment and economic growth. It also helped in populating indicators provided by the World Bank which would assist in comparison to other countries.
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SANAD: Needs of Small Businesses

December 22, 2021

A three-fold study for SANAD TAF on MSMEs and their needs for future financial and non-financial support: Assess the situation of small businesses and their challenges, to identify topics needing capacity building, and identify well-positioned local institutions able to provide financial and other support to MSMEs. Methodology: Desk research, Key Informant Interviews, and a survey with MSMEs in Greater Beirut and Tripoli.

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World Bank: Impact of the 2019 Crisis on Private Enterprises in Lebanon

January 1, 2019

The study was commissioned by the World Bank. It aims to measure the impact of the crisis on key components of the private sector including sales, profitability, employment, finances, and expectations of the future. Two surveys at different intervals with the same panel of firms were planned to better understand the implications of the crisis, coping mechanisms utilized, and recovery path. Methodology: A quantitative survey with 532 firms.

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Ernst & Young: Overview of the SME Market

January 1, 2011

A study for Ernst & Young. Provide an overview of the SME market and available financing solutions. Mapping players who provide financing to SMEs and categorized by criteria such as number of employees, geographic coverage, specializations, types of financial services provided, client profile, and sectors covered. InfoPro then conducted in-depth interviews with several of the players in order to obtain more detailed insights of the financing solutions available to SMEs, in addition to information on the conditions, interest rates, commissions and charges, limits and durations of the debt instruments available. In-depth interviews with 150 SMEs.
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World Bank: Productivity and Investment Climate Assessment Survey

January 1, 2009

Two studies for the World Bank. The objective is to understand conditions in the investment climate and their effect on firm-level productivity for the private sector. The goal of the studies was to advise the Lebanese government on ways to change policies that are hindering the growth of the private sector and develop new policies that support productivity growth. Interviews were conducted 953company managers. The sectors covered for this study were the following: Food and beverage, furniture, textile, trade, services, construction, and hotels. The studies delved into the following: Evaluation of productivity level of businesses, Assess investment climate constraints to the company, Identify investment in capacity, innovation and learning, Identify obstacles with respect to infrastructure and services, Evaluate relations between businesses and the government, Evaluate the labor status of businesses.
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World Bank: Business Survey of War Losses, Damages, and Needs for Recovery

January 1, 2007

A study for the World Bank. The aim of the study was to identify the indirect and direct damages incurred by individuals and the private sector post the July 2006 war and to prioritize their current needs so as to be able to formulate a recovery and rehabilitation plan. The study assessed the impact on businesses and included in-depth interviews with the owners of the biggest businesses that were directly targeted during the war, in-depth interviews with a sample of small enterprises located in war-affected area, and in-depth interviews with a panel of companies selected from the Productivity and Investment Climate Assessment survey. Assessed the economic impact of the war on businesses belonging to a variety of sectors and their current and future needs. It included in-depth interviews with key business leaders in a variety of organizations and sectors, in addition to a compilation of common needs across various sectors. Assessment of the needs of households and the displaced. Methodology: interviews with 400 SME’s, 2,000 individuals, and 50 in-depth interviews with large businesses.
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