Abstract

Letter of Intent (LoI) for Agribusiness Financing and Support Between ACDI/VOCA USAID Zambia Enterprise Development and Growth Enhanced (EDGE) Activity and International Water Management Institute (IWMI). This LoI is written to express the willingness of both parties to cooperate in developing and implementing mutually beneficial activities in support of agribusiness development in Zambia, in line with respective workplans, mandates and donor requirements. USAID Zambia Enterprise Development and Growth Enhanced (EDGE) Activity is a five-year $14 million contract awarded to ACDI/VOCA in 2020 aimed at increasing profitability for agricultural small- and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) in Central, Eastern and Lusaka provinces. The project’s hypothesis is that agricultural SMEs face limitations related to a lack of access to financing, limited business management skills, technology, and access to markets. By targeting these issues, the EDGE Activity aims to increase SME productivity and ability to create new jobs. The EDGE Activity has two primary objectives: 1. Increased access to finance for agricultural SMEs, including female-owned enterprises; and 2. Increased competitiveness for SMEs’ products.