Impact Assessment of SME Foundation's Activities

Realizing the potential role of SMEs to enhance growth and poverty alleviation in the country, in 2007 the SME foundation was formed with a vision of becoming the one-window service delivery center for all small and medium enterprise. Since then the Foundation is working as a facilitator for improving the performance of SMEs. This study assesses Foundation’s institutional performance towards the development of SMEs. A mix method of both qualitative and quantitative approaches is adopted for evaluating the activities of SMEF. The evaluation is carried out using available information and surveying a sample of SMEs. For the analysis of firm data, standard econometrics tools are used keeping the overall scope and objectives of the study in mind. In total 526 enterprises were interviewed through the questionnaire survey. The enterprises were selected from 10 districts across 6 divisions of Bangladesh. 

The Foundation operates through eight different wings for carrying out its administrative activities and implementing the strategies. These wings are: (i) Business Support Service (ii) Finance and Credit; (iii) Human Resource Development (iv) Women Entrepreneurship Development (v) Research and Policy advocacy (vi) Access to Technology (vii) Access to Information and (viii) General Administration. This study takes the approach of evaluating Foundation through assessing the activities of its different wings separately based on information made available to BIDS research team.