Markets that work for everyone

Last checked on: 21 May 2026

A strong, sustainable private sector supports economic growth and inclusive development worldwide. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) create jobs, encourage innovation and reduce poverty and inequality. They also help solve societal challenges, such as access to food, clean water, energy and healthcare. By cooperating with local partners, we can help develop markets that benefit everyone.

Developing markets together

Markets play an important role in solving challenges and creating prosperity for all. Entrepreneurs, financiers, government organisations, knowledge institutes and civil society organisations need to work together to achieve those goals.

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) facilitates market development by supporting partners in low- and middle-income countries. We use public resources to help fragile markets grow, reduce risks, build connections in the market, ensure inclusivity and develop the enabling environment. This creates trade and investment opportunities for both local and Dutch entrepreneurs. It also benefits consumers, including women, girls and people living in poverty.

Our market development programmes

RVO supports partners through knowledge, advice, finance and our network. We contribute to market development through programmes such as:

Approach

We support market development activities that:

Strengthen supply;
Stimulate demand;
Help improve policy and regulation.

Strengthening supply

We help local entrepreneurs grow through business development support, focusing on access to finance, risk reduction and social and sustainability challenges in specific markets. This helps make investments in entrepreneurs more attractive.

Examples include:

Funding entrepreneurial training programmes for young entrepreneurs;
Providing capital to fund managers and reducing the risks of investing in early-stage startups;
Supporting improvements in logistics, for example, by helping entrepreneurs deliver medicines more efficiently;
Offering (results-based) financing and innovation funds for SMEs, including women-led businesses;
Helping entrepreneurs test innovations with local partners, such as more sustainable farming methods;
Providing access to finance for projects that reduce or capture greenhouse gas emissions (carbon finance).

Stimulating demand

We stimulate demand by helping to make sustainable and inclusive products and services more accessible.

Our activities include:

Providing subsidies to households to make clean cooking methods more affordable;
Encouraging farmers to use bioslurry and compost to increase yields and make crops more resilient;
Supporting awareness campaigns that focus on changing consumer behaviour.

Helping to improve policy and regulation

We help governments create effective policies that help the market grow.

Examples include:

Supporting the development of policies and quality standards;
Supporting intergovernmental partnerships that influence policy, such as the West and Central African Alliance for biodigesters;
Evidence-based advocacy and support.

How can we support you?

Are you an entrepreneur? Or do you work for a knowledge institute, civil society organisation or (local) government? We can help you find opportunities and strengthen markets in low- and middle-income countries.