Technical Assistance
GBF embeds Technical Assistance (TA) at every stage of the investment cycle, ensuring sustainable SME growth and de-risked investments.
Our technical assistance program draws from over 20 years of experience in early-stage microfinance and social investment. Our staff and advisors provide GBF with additional expertise in capacity-building and investing in high-impact SMEs.
OUR ACTIVITIES
Our work is dedicated to creating a world in which there are economic opportunities for all.
Through our first-hand experiences and our engagement with global and regional players, we have discovered best practices in improving the lives of those living at the base of the economic pyramid.
Impact Funds Management
Through our portfolios and projects, we have created positive impact in various sectors.
Technical Assistance
Our technical assistance program draws from over 20 years of experience in early-stage microfinance and social investment. Our staff and advisors provide GBF with additional expertise in capacity-building and investing in high-impact SMEs.
RESULTS
488
Assignments In 83 Countries Since 2008
26%
Of the assignments were focusing on financial management, 26% on environmental and social, 24% on operations, 19% on strategy and 5% on governance and structure.
88%
Adhered To Better Legal & Statutory Compliance
86%
Became More Environmentally & Socially Compliant
79%
Showed Operational Improvement
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED IN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Well-positioned technical assistance can be catalytic for a portfolio company with a wide range of challenges.
The most effective interventions are often slow, with gradual disbursement against progress, milestones, and frequent adaptation over a long period of time.
For high-impact SMEs, corporate governance and human capacity are the most challenging core areas in dire need of support, mainly because most of these businesses are family owned and run.
Investment Advisory Services
Since 2018, GBF has offered paid advisory services through our not-for-profit, GBP, to various international and regional organizations.
Initially focused on SME investment and technical assistance, our advisory work has expanded to encompass broader strategic guidance and program design.
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED IN INVESTMENT ADVISORY SERVICES
Mezzanine investments are valuable for growth-stage SMEs, particularly those with limited access to traditional funding.
Development-focused funders should address constraints that limit other forms of blending, including the availability of expanded and affordable guarantees.
Social Impact Studies
This information helps us assess whether the sustainable incomes or savings generated by farmers, artisans, workers, or consumers within the investees' supply chains result in meaningful improvements in the well-being of their families and communities.
These metrics can also assist our clients in managing their supply chains, enhancing production, optimizing efficiency, and strengthening marketing efforts. The key to GBF's social impact lies in building the viability of our investee companies, ensuring that these positive social outcomes continue to grow and endure for years to come.
GBF's social and economic impact tracking provides operational insights to our clients and enables us and our funders to monitor our investees' impact.
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED IN SOCIAL IMPACT STUDIES
There are great opportunities to increase social impact by building on extensive business supply chains, such as community health centers or gender empowerment initiatives.
Social reporting can be limited to items that are of value to SMEs and practical to collect, while still meeting funders’ needs.