Prospero Ltd

To date Prospero's work has led to the creation of 6,200 jobs in Zambia, and the company has facilitated $115 million in investment. to Zambian SMEs.

In order to remove identified bottlenecks, Prospero's focus is on:

• Improving access to capital, which is currently a significant constraint for growth businesses
• Boosting the capacity of local high growth businesses in terms of governance and management, to make them more attractive to investors
• Helping establish networks for Zambian businesses to connect them to investors and providers of other financial servicesEnsuring compliance levels in areas which SMEs struggle with, such as investors and other financiers’ regulations

There are four types of intervention partnerships, two of which involve financial support, and two of which are non-financial:-

1. Investment Grants

Prospero provides financial support to incentivise investment and offset some of the risks of business innovation.

2. Technical Assistance Grant

Prospero contributes to a partner’s costs of accessing specialist technical expertise during the design and/or implementation of the project.

3. Facilitation Agreement

Prospero supports partners to make new, beneficial business linkages with suppliers, customers, finance providers, or investors.

4. Cooperation Agreement

Prospero works alongside its partner to achieve a shared strategic objective

In regard to SME capacity-building, Prospero focuses on the following high-growth potential sectors:

• Food and Agriculture: Increasing competitiveness and value of Zambian food products in end consumer markets, specifically small livestock, legumes, and fruit and vegetables
• Industry & Manufacturing: Increasing the sustainable and inclusive economic impact of industries in Zambia, through the development of local manufacturing value chains and partnerships with mining companies
• Tourism and Biotrade: Through 'Effective Enablers' and 'Landscape Livelihoods', Prospero encourages a more competitive and sustainable tourism industry by facilitating improved management of natural resources, greater environmental integrity, increased sector-wide collaboration and market access, and increased opportunities for MSME investment in and around the tourism sector
• Investment Services: Increasing access to sources of impact investment finance for growth-oriented businesses
• Business Services: Increasing access to finance, business opportunities and networking through Rural enterprise hubs and Business membership organisations
• Carbon Market Development: Project identification and carbon eligibility assessment, as well as project design and investment, to enable Zambian businesses to seize carbon finance opportunities