Empowering social enterprises - training local business development service providers

Social enterprises in emerging and developing countries often lack local service providers with access to technical expertise and know-how. External consulting is of particular relevance during the first phases of an enterprise’s development. At the centre of this project was the training of local service providers (Business Development Service (BDS) Providers) from eight sub-Saharan African countries. On behalf of the Siemens Stiftung, adelphi carried out a two-day workshop with service providers with whom adelphi had already worked in the framework of the SEED Support from Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, and Malawi.

For the training, adelphi developed a workshop method that illustrated to the service providers the connection between the Siemens Stiftung’s “Self-Assessment Manual for Social Entrepreneurs – (SAMforSE)” and the SEED Toolbox. An understanding of the approach to and implementation of the project was reached by the provision of case studies and the development of new tools.

Beyond that, the project facilitated an exchange of experiences and knowledge among the service providers and strengthened an ecosystem beneficial to social enterprises.