The Private Enterprise Development in Low-Income Countries (PEDL) initiative is glad to announce an expansion of its programme. PEDL
will now be receiving applications for Major Research Grant (MRG) projects
researching the role of development finance: investments in private sector
development that are impact-led but commercially rigorous.
CDC Group, the UK’s development finance institution, and the
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) are sponsoring this new
research initiative aimed at understanding the impact of development finance on
private sector development. Issues of interest include the effect of investment
on private sector growth; the characteristics of high-growth firms and how they
impact on their sectors and localities; supporting quality jobs, gender and
climate finance; and production and distribution of broader inclusive products
and services.
Researchers will ideally partner with specific
CDC investments, or alternatively work with other businesses sufficiently
comparable to build the understanding of the importance of investment in
private sector growth. PEDL is especially interested in expanding the role of
data science to create new understanding and improve decision-making. Issues of
particular relevance include:
- What is the impact of
larger-scale investment on private sector development in Africa and South
Asia?
- What types of firms create
stable, inclusive, productive employment that allow workers to build human
capital through working; when and why does this job creation happen? What
do they know about displacement effects and the gig economy?
- CDC invests in infrastructure,
especially electricity, telecommunications and logistics (e.g. ports,
warehouses). What is the impact of infrastructure investments on private
sector productivity? What is the impact on citizens’ lives? See this
evidence review for the impact framework and some open questions.
- CDC invests in financial
institutions. What types of financial services have most impact for
business productivity and individual wellbeing? See this evidence review
for the impact framework and some open questions.
- CDC has a growing climate
finance portfolio. See its climate strategy; how can private sector investment
support ‘Paris Alignment’: net zero economies, Just Transition, and
adaptation and resilience?
Funding Information
MRGs are grants of
£100,000 or more. There is no formal upper limit, but past MRGs have averaged
around £300,000.
MRG projects typically
run for up to 36 months.
Country Criteria
CDC Group’s current
mandate is Africa and South Asia. Proposals for projects outside the focus
countries should make a clear case for the relevance of the research to policy
in lower-income countries, and also justify why the research is feasible only
in non-target countries. Note that, at the moment, they are unable to fund projects
located in Myanmar and Palestine.
Post Date - 27-Oct-2020