Micro-entrepreneurship (ME) programmes support income generation activities implemented with a comprehensive and bottom-up approach, in which beneficiaries participate in the identification and design of their microentrepreneur activity, considering specific needs and capacities. ME support programmes may offer training, start-up support and technical assistance, usually incorporating a combination of several or all of these components.  

These guidelines and tools aim to assist staff and volunteers involved in micro-entrepreneurship (ME) programmes by providing guidance and tools organised in stages that follow the phases of an ME programme: assessment and analysis, design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. Each stage starts with a brief introduction followed by recommendations and tools. The tools included in the toolkit can be used in urban and rural contexts and can be adapted to individual or group micro-entrepreneurship and to the type of ME programme to be supported.

The roadmap of these guidelines start by identifying ME opportunities and build up from there. However, in practice, an ME support component is often part of a comprehensive programme already underway and the ME support may start at any of the stages of the roadmap.

Available in English and Spanish. Soon to be available in French.

Download the Guidelines (EN) 9 Mb

Download the Full Toolkit (EN) 13Mb 

Download INFOGRAPHICS (EN)