Projects

The FCO’s Global Trade Programme aims to reduce poverty and achieve economic growth through an increase in competitive SMEs (including women owned SMEs) which are able to trade internationally, including with the UK, contributing to economic and export base diversification, higher economic growth and job creation. The access of Nigerian exporters to the UK market […]

The SADC Council of Ministers, at its meeting in August 2014, noted that the draft Revised Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP) 2015-2020, contained a proposed roadmap for the development of the SADC long-term Vision, which would bring together the Revised RISDP and the Strategic Indicative Plan of the Organ (SIPO) – the latter designed […]

The Kazungula Bridge is a joint project between the Government of the Republic of Botswana and the Government of the Republic of Zambia. The Project lies on the border between the two countries on the North-South Corridor (NSC), a vital trade route in SADC. Informed by two key studies, Feasibility Study and Preliminary Design (2001) […]

Private Enterprise Programme in Zambia (PEPZ), is a six-year (2014-2020) UK Aid-funded private sector development programme designed to encourage and support investment and job creation. PEP Zambia helps intervention partners to introduce business innovations (new products, services or business models) that deliver profitable growth for our partner and open up new market opportunities for Zambian […]

From 2018-2019, Imani Development undertook the Finalisation of Programme Design and Preparation of the Outline Business Case for the FCO SACU+M GTP: Trade Capacity Building Programme (TCBP). Imani Development is the primary Local Service Provider (LSP) of a DAI-led consortium contracted to implement the GTP: Trade Capacity Building Programme (TCBP).Trade Forward (SACU+M TCBP) provides assistance […]

Under the 11th European Development Fund (2014-2020) for Zambia, the European Union and the Government of Zambia have agreed on a EUR 99 million “Support to the sustainable commercialisation of Zambia’s smallholder farmers” Programme. The first and largest component of this operation aims at supporting investments conducive to strengthening the market integration of smallholder farmers […]

The AgriFI Kenya Challenge Fund is a EUR 24 million five-year agribusiness support programme that is funded by the European Union in partnership with the European Investment Bank. It aims to support small and medium sized enterprises that have a track record of facilitating productive, adapted, and market integrated smallholder agriculture. Through an €18 million […]

Implementation for the EUR 12 million “Supporting Trade and Development in Mozambique – “Promove Comércio”programme began in November 2019. This project is financed under the 11th EDF National indicative programme for Mozambique and the Regional Indicative Programme. The programme aims to improve trade facilitation aspects of the Ease of Doing Business by reinforcing Government capacity to implement […]

Banco de Fomento Angola (BFA) is an Angolan bank, operating since 1993. In 2005, BFA’s Board of Directors approved the design and creation of a Social Fund, intended to support relevant social initiatives at national level in the areas of education, healthcare, and social solidarity. In 2017, the BFA Board increased funds available for social […]

Fairtrade has managed a £220,926 project in Swaziland, funded by the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission, between 2016-2018 to build market and climate resilience for sugar farmers in Swaziland. The aim of the project was to achieve the following outcomes for farmers negatively impacted by changes to EU legislation affecting their market and climate changes threatening […]

Fight for Peace International (FFPI) works with youth at risk or already involved in violence to develop their psycho social, academic and job skills using boxing and martial arts as an entry point to the youth. The SCP specifically, uses a ‘Collective Impact’, which is a strategy for social change based on the assumption that […]

Mauritius is a Small Island Developing Country which is fully integrated into the global trading system. It is an export-oriented economy with international trade (imports and exports) making up for almost 100% of GDP. As a member of COMESA and SADC, it has liberalized fully its trade for its constituent members and is currently actively […]

TradeMark East Africa has been working with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and the Private Sector to map Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) in South Sudan. They have assisted in developing a strategy for their elimination as well as establishing the NTB National Monitoring Committee (NTBs NMC). The purpose of this engagement was to continue supporting […]

Agriculture contributes about 15% of total SADC GDP (between 4% and 27% of GDP in the different SADC Member States), industry accounts for 31% and services for 55%. The share of manufacturing (11.3% SADC wide, 2014) with the exception of South Africa and Mauritius, remains low and relatively undiversified in SADC. The revised SADC Regional […]

Northern Ghana has been left behind as the rest of the country reports impressive economic growth. Most families in Northern Ghana rely on subsistence agriculture in a harsh, dry climate that is prone to drought and other impacts of climate change. Poverty and food insecurity are higher in this region than elsewhere in the country. […]

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (MRI) and Maine Aquaculture Association (Project Partners) required the services of a consulting team to develop an objective and fact-based Statewide Training Strategy (The Workforce Development Strategy) for Maine’s growing and evolving aquaculture industry. The intended outcomes for the Workforce Development Strategy were: 1. to serve as a strategic […]

Imani Development was requested by Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc (FML) to prepare a proposal for the development of an Aquaculture scheme at their Sunti Golden Sugar Estate (SGSE) in Niger State, Nigeria. The estate is located along a floodplain of the Niger River, and currently irrigates its sugarcane with water from this source. A […]

The purpose of this engagement was to support a rapid assessment of the aquaculture sector in DRC to better understand its structure and dynamics. This assessment provided the basis to decide if there is a potential for DFID to support the sector with a view on both reducing poverty and improving nutrition among the poor […]

Imani Development and Particip GmbH carried out the combined evaluation which was commissioned in 2013. The evaluation was set in a wider global development context which is giving greater emphasis to agricultural growth and food security than has been the case over recent decades. The focus of the assignment was to evaluate the portals together […]

The Business Innovation Facility II is the second phase of the ground-breaking DFID programme BIF I, launched in 2010, to actively identify and support inclusive business project opportunities in five pilot countries; BIF II (BIF2), as a continuation of BIF I, has a much stronger, narrowed scope focusing on Solar Products, Soya, and Pigeon Peas. […]

The main goal of the project was to enhance the capacity of MTICM to coordinate and lead the Kingdom of Lesotho’s trade negotiations. This is achieved through the provision of technical assistance and provision of stakeholder training to all the relevant actors particularly the MTICM. The consultancy was positioned to deliver on 4 objectives. These […]

One of the outputs of the DFID funded Trade Advocacy Fund (TAF) in Malawi, was to develop a new comprehensive Trade Negotiations Framework (TNF) for the country. The objective of the TNF is to ensure that upcoming trade negotiations are aligned with Malawi’s national development priorities. Thus, the TNF comprises of a comprehensive review of […]

This is a ground-breaking DFID programme (launched 2010) to actively identify and support inclusive business project opportunities in five pilot countries. Imani Development is the consortium partner responsible for both Malawi and Zambia, and as Country Managers has identified, and now delivers, the BIF strategy there.  Imani works directly with commercial companies: agro-processors; information and […]

One of the main constraints to investment and export growth, as mentioned repeatedly by the private sector and as identified in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) and the National Export Strategy (NES) is the Control of Goods Act. The Act empowers the Minister responsible for trade to make regulations to control export and […]

The East African Community (EAC) is a Regional Economic Community (REC) consisting of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi as Partner States. The EAC integration process is being pursued through four main stages as provided in the EAC Treaty (which came into force in July 2000); namely the Customs Union, the Common Market, the Monetary […]

The Malawi Innovation Challenge Fund (MICF) is a US$ 8 million competitive, transparent mechanisms that provides grant finance for innovative projects proposed by the private sector active in Malawi’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Supported by the United Nations Development Programme and UK Aid, the MICF is designed to be a quick, responsive mechanism that is […]

The objective of the MTR was to take stock and review progress achieved by EABC in the delivery of its mandate, and make recommendations in view of improving the implementation of programme activities during the remaining period of the project for a maximum impact. The review also mapped out any innovations and best practices, and […]

The purpose of this research was to investigate the complex issues that people with disabilities (PWDs) in Cape Town face regarding access to transport, and to identify various possible interventions to alleviate challenges. The output was to design a set of solutions that presented feasible and sustainable business opportunities in the sector to address a […]

Imani provided the position of Key Expert (Technical Advisor) at the Office of Economic Advisor to the President of South Sudan. The technical advisor (TA) provided essential support to The Economic Advisor to H.E. the President of South Sudan. This support covered three broad strands: government policy formulation, aid policy, and internal government coordination. This […]

Spanning 2015-2018, Imani’s involvement in this project is still ongoing. The objective is to stimulate inclusive growth and realise the ultimate goals of job-creation and development by growing M/SMEs through enhanced and tailored access to finance and microfinance. The EIB has facilitated the creation of a Southern African Microfinance Facility (budget – 135m Euro), and […]

FinMark Trust has been actively engaged in promoting Regional Financial Integration (RFI) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) since 2010. It based its focus on the results of a baseline study conducted on the Finance and Investment Protocol (FIP), as well as other areas of regional financial integration. The initial study determined some indicators […]

The Fairtrade for Development in Africa (FTDA) grant was both the largest awarded by Comic Relief under its Trade Programme, and the largest grant received by the Fairtrade Foundation. The aim of the FTDA was to contribute to the reduction of poverty in Africa by scaling up the Fairtrade Labelling system as a way of […]

GOAL Malawi is an international organization which has been operating in Malawi since 2002. GOAL Malawi, with funding from Irish Aid and DFID, has been implementing a livelihoods programme in the Nsanje district. The objective of the programme is to increase agriculture productions of cash crops among smallholder farmers and link these farmers to established […]

The purpose of this assignment was to position the Secretariats/ Commission to foster Member States compliance with regional decisions. The key objectives consisted of supporting  the REC Secretariats/Commission cooperating with the GIZ programmes to 1) identify its current legal and non-legal options for fostering Member States’ compliance with regional decisions, 2) compare the options available […]

Falling within Imani’s Transport and Infrastructure capacity, the Economic Impact Study was concerned with identifying and quantifying the economic impact of the proposed Kokstad intersection upgrade in South Africa. In particular, assessment focused on businesses and land use or commercial activities within the construction corridor – mainly the M56 between the N2 intersection and the […]

The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors that prevent or limit SMMEs in South Africa from surviving and/or growing. This study also tested the hypothesis that reduced risk is function of scale and that scale is determined by turnover. An extensive literature review was conducted in order to ascertain the risk […]

TraCCS is an Imani-designed and implemented project supporting 3 strategic value chains in Malawi: tea, coffee and pigeon peas. TraCCS aims to develop more inclusive and sustainable value chains for export and domestic consumption in these three products in a pro-poor and climate smart manner. Imani will work with Malawian medium and large private sector […]

A core part of TMEA’s work going forward (and informing the development of its Strategy 2) is to scale up work on the trade and poverty agenda and to design interventions which have a more direct impact on alleviating poverty. Based on the extensive Cross Border Trade (CBT) work in Rwanda and work with women […]

The purpose of the project was to bolster the capacity of the MEACA in carrying out its role of promoting Uganda’s interests in pursuit of EAC regional integration. Specifically, this project would design and implement a package of support for regional economic integration to MEACA and other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in Uganda. The […]

The overall objective of the project was to support the Republic of South Sudan to finalise conducting pre–entry studies to facilitate South Sudan’s entry into the East African Community (EAC) on favourable terms. The specific objectives were divided into the key components as listed below: Review of the Economic Impact of EAC Accession on South […]

Since 2010, TMEA has worked alongside its wide range of partners to invest in increased transport capacity, more efficient border crossings, stronger public and private institutions, new IT and systems technology, and the procesess to strengthen business to play a bigger role in global trade through expanded exports. As an issue cutting across all trade […]

MITC serves to promote investment and trade–mostly focusing on exports and investment promotion in Malawi– and acts as a critical agent to the successful implementation of the National Export Strategy. The NES is a prioritized framework that fosters the generating of exports in Malawi in order to match the upward pressure on Malawi’s imports. The […]

The intention of the ADP was to design an agricultural investment and market development  programme which would develop a local supply chain for various food crops from firms, cooperatives, and individual commercial farmers in 10 districts across Albertine, Uganda. The ultimate goal was to commercialise agricultural production in these districts; this was achieved by attracting […]

The overall objective of the study was to identify potential key issues for Botswana in the Tripartite TFTA in terms of (1) Botswana’s position in the negotiations relating to opportunities for trade, and (2) the potential areas of support for Botswana enterprises. The study comprised the following specific objectives: Investigate the potential downside of trade […]

The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the United States (US) signed the Trade, Investment and Development Cooperation Agreement (TIDCA) in 2008. The objective of TIDCA is promoting an attractive investment climate and expanding and diversifying trade between SACU and the US. The TIDCA provides for a wide range of consultative forums and cooperation in […]

The Trade Policy Centre in Africa (trapca) was established in 2006 to enhance trade policy capacity of least-developed and other developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It was also set up to enable networking and information sharing amongst various African Countries. Trapca is based in Arusha in Tanzania. It is hosted by Eastern and Southern Africa […]

As part of the World Bank’s technical support to Botswana under the Economic Diversification and Competitiveness program, the World Bank is overseeing the development of cross-border value chain studies in three of the priority sectors. This project focused on the transport and logistics sector. Transport and logistics is a potential export sector in its own […]

The World Bank looked to assess the development of regional supply chains in context of regional and global value chains, and in particular, the role of services enablers in shaping competitiveness, participation, and upgrading of firms within these supply chains. This project involved leading the development, implementation, and analysis of a series of surveys to […]

The Enhanced Integration Framework (EIF) is a multi-donor programme that aims to enable LDCs to be more active players in the global trading system. This is achieved by supporting LDCs in addressing supply-side constraints to trade. The EIF’s core objective is to mainstream trade into the development agendas of LDC countries. The EIF sits in […]

Imani Development is currently working with the delegation to the European Union to South Africa on the EU-SA Business Links project. The overall objective of the project is to better promote European interests in South Africa with facilitated market access and an increased competitiveness for European companies in the country and the region. To meet […]

Analysis of ASEAN Regional Integration and fact-finding mission to ASEAN, Indonesia and Singapore. Technical study on instruments, modalities and progress towards ASEAN regional integration. Included in-depth discussions with key departments at ASEAN Secretariat, as well as gathering member country perspectives from a range of public, private and research sector representatives in Singapore and Indonesia.

In 2013/14, Imani undertook a ground-breaking study into the Scottish aquaculture industry, particularly its production of salmon, a major Scottish export. The study cast new light on the industry’s significant contributions to local economic growth and social impacts, including supporting populations and incomes in remote rural areas and ‘fragile economic areas’. Further, it demonstrated that […]

The overall objective of the review was to assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of Stabex 99 ESIRP interventions and to formulate recommendations into an agreed Action Plan for the next phase. Objectives: Assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of Stabex 99 ESIRP interventions in the context of the Education Strategic Plan 2004-06 […]

The purpose of the project was to contribute to the development and implementation of harmonization and coordination of monetary and fiscal policy framework in the CARICOM, through the initiatives by COFAP. This included; elaboration of various proposal within the context of the responsibilities of the Council for Finance and Planning and taking into account the […]

The objective of this project was to develop the competitiveness of the Caribbean Rice Industry in response to challenges of liberalization in the global rice industry. Specifically the project developed certification standards for the production, promotion and exports of Fair-trade rice in Guyana and Suriname. There two major outcomes of this project were: Enhanced awareness […]

The overall objective of the project is to promote reforms in macroeconomic policy, improve legislation, the institutional setup and financial measures (the rules of the game) relating to the enabling environment of the private sector in ACP countries and/or regions. The project aims at facilitating reflection and access to information by stakeholders on pertinent themes, […]

The SSI-Imani-FutureWorks Consortium was invited by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, to undertake a planning study of Delma Island in 2010. The project involved a number of field visits to the island and the identification of three alternative strategies for economic development. The recommended strategy, referred to as the “sustainable village”, […]

The Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce (TTCIC) requested a study from TRADECOM to try and identify the causes that inhibit the local private sector from increasing exports of goods or services to Europe as well as the challenges faced in the European market in the context of the CARIFORUM-EC Economic Partnership Agreement. […]

Managed Feasibility study for establishment of Special Economic Zones in East Timor focusing on investment strategies, financing instruments, attracting FDI and employment creation for SMEs. Included detailed analysis of policy options, regional trade arrangements, legal framework, implementation action plan and investment opportunities. Sectoral priority analysis and infrastructure requirements were included in the feasibility study. Outcome […]

The main objective is to assist the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Government of the Lao PDR to strengthen policy development, coordination and implementation of Trade strategy. The expert also provided policy advice to AusAID on implementation of its trade sector program in Laos and facilitated coordination with other development partners as they […]

The ASEAN Regional Integration Support from the EU (ARISE), has the overall objective to support ASEAN Economic Integration process through contributing to the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint for the realisation of the AEC. The ARISE purpose is to enhance the capacities of the ASEAN Member States in harmonising and implementing policies […]

The project undertook a formative or summative evaluation for selected PSO/CSO projects for TMEA in Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, and Rwanda. The formative evaluations measured the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the PSO/CSO projects. It assessed the programme or intervention by examining, amongst other things, the delivery of the programme, the quality of […]

This project aimed to understand the interrelations between the three RECs and the policy framework of the proposed FTA in order to formulate the EAC private sector’s position on the negotiations. The main objectives of the consultancy were to: Carry out an comparative analysis of the EAC, COMESA, and SADC economies Analyse the current and […]

The outcome was to deliver technical assistance to the Government of Swaziland  leading to the development of policies and capacities essential for it to benefit from opportunities arising from global trade liberalisation (WTO; DFQF under EU/EPA and US/AGOA) and various bilateral trade agreements and its membership of the three above mentioned RECs. Imani developed Swaziland’s Aid […]

The purpose of this training project was to build capacity of each of the member states of the ESA EPA configuration in preparing for negotiations in services and specifically in preparing their schedules of commitments in the EAP negotiations. Imani carried out three day training courses for each of the English-speaking countries involving public and […]

This project looked to strengthen Human and Institutional Capabilities in the negotiations of and Implementation of WTO Agreements and other trade negotiations inclusive of the Development of an Effective Trade Policy for Seychelles given fisheries as main economic driver. This included strengthening the institutional and human resources capacity of the Ministry of Finance and other […]

This project aimed to support the Mauritian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Co-operation (MFAITC) in preparing for Services Negotiations in the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union. The objectives of the project were to: Identify the services, at micro level, that can be (or is already being) exported from Mauritius; Identify the […]

Imani implementated a programme of activities towards trade negotiations capacity building for the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Malawi (MoIT), funded by DFID’s Trade Advocacy Fund (TAF). The project focused primarily on two trade negotiations areas: the drafting of a new trade negotiations framework for Malawi, as well as designing a trade negotiations management […]

Imani has been contracted to deliver a project on behalf of the Trade Advocacy Fund (TAF), in response to a request from the Lesotho Ministry of Trade, Industry, Cooperatives and Marketing (MTICM), looking to strengthen the trade negotiations capacity of Lesotho. The overall expected outcome of the project was to enable more effective participation of Lesotho […]

The Development of Global Gap Equivalence & Internationally Recognised Leading Ethical Standards for Ethiopian Horticulture project attempted to allow the industry to be benchmarked against international standards to give credibility and satisfy international buyers. The overall objectives of the evaluation was to; provide recommendations for both future project implementation and their partnership agreements, provide independent […]

Imani provided the position of Key Expert (Technical Advisor) at the Office of Economic Advisor to the President of South Sudan. The technical advisor (TA) provided essential support to the Economic Advisor to H.E. the President of South Sudan. This covered a number of broad strands, including government policy formulation, aid policy, internal government coordination […]

The Commonwealth Secretariat (COMSEC) provided Technical Assistance (TA) over a three year period to East African Community (EAC) member states, aimed at improving trade flows into and from the region. The TA is provided in collaboration with the East African Business Council (EABC), the EAC Secretariat and the national trade support institutions through four distinct […]

The objective of the project is to provide technical expertise to improve the Ministry’s technical economic analysis competency and provide background research on the economic impacts of regional integration to inform the Government of Rwanda’s regional integration process. Among other activities, the team has developed a 5 year strategy to support informal cross-border trade in Rwanda […]

This project was part of USAID’s Enabling Agricultural Trade (EAT) project and aimed to conduct a cross-border trade analysis on existing and potential cross-border markets for Rwandan crops, agricultural inputs (fertilizer, seeds), and livestock. This project directly supported the Government of Rwanda and private sector priorities of investment facilitation, export growth, and poverty reduction. To […]

Imani developed a strategy for the elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers in Burundi and those NTB effecting Burundi in the East African Community and a budgeted action plan for its implementation for three years. The strategy will meet the expectations of Government, industry, importers, exporters, consumers and various development partners in the elimination of Non-Tariff Barriers. […]

Although Tanzania had formulated and adopted a National Trade Policy, which was facilitated by Imani Development, in 2003, very little implementation had been undertaken. Given the reorientation of the Tanzanian Economy towards exports it was imperative that a National Export Strategy was developed to assist the Board of External Trade to effectively reorient the economy […]

The Burundi Investment Promotion Agency (API) was established to promote the development of investments into and exports from Burundi. The aim of this training was to build the capacity of the API in investor services and after-care exposing the participants to international best practice in these areas. The workshop focused on the importance of efficient, […]

The overall objective of this project is to assist the Republic of South Sudan to conduct a study as a strategy to facilitate South Sudan’s entry into the EAC on favourable terms. The project’s objectives consists of four main components: review of economic impact of the EAC accession on South Sudan; review of the regulatory […]

This study focused on ensuring that the proposed facilities will harmonise trade facilitation efforts and avoid duplication of efforts and resources. The Gulu-Nimule-Elegu-Juba corridor is one of the highest priority roads between Uganda and South Sudan since it provides South Sudan with vital access to Uganda and is also the most efficient route to the […]

This project required the review of operations in the Customs Administration of Mozambique, the recommendation of solutions to problems identified and the provision of training and performance support, where necessary, in the areas of policy, legislation and procedures, human resource management, communications and training. The overall objective of the project was the reform and modernisation […]

The aim of this study was to assess the impact that any changes to the current SADC Rules of Origin (RoO) would have on SACU, as well as to advise SACU member states on the best RoO option forward, one that would not inhibit growth and development in their textiles and clothing industries. While this […]

The South African National Treasury received a grant from the African Development Bank to develop a national policy on One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) for South Africa. This project is part of the government’s regional integration efforts and seeks to ensure a coherent, harmonised and consistent South African approach to road and rail border management. […]

This study documented the impact of the various trade reforms implemented by SADC member states in accordance with the SADC Protocol on Trade. It ultimately aimed at contributing towards influencing policy and programming decisions and directions regarding SADC’s aim of improving trade and economic integration in the region. It also complemented the AfDB’s regional integration goals […]

The goal of the Zimbabwe Agricultural Competitiveness Program (Zim-ACP) was to increase the competitiveness of Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector. In achieving this objective, the Zim-ACP program focused on the following: Supporting and strengthening representative farmers unions, commodity associations and agribusiness associations and assisting them to develop their analytical and advocacy capacity, with the ultimate goal of […]

The purpose of this project is to understand and pilot test whether and how provision of ICT-tools can facilitate the transformation of women farmers and women entrepreneurs from one level of the value chain to another, focusing specifically on Zambia and Kenya. This pilot project forms part of the Bank of Netherlands Partnership Program (BNPP) […]

This project was funded by AUSAID and ran from June 2013 – September 2014. The Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA), established in 2009, is a specialised agency of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) with the specific mandate to promote regional integration and the competitiveness of the […]

Imani Development was contracted by the United Nations Development Programme to assist the Government of Malawi with relaunching their National Export Strategy process in 2011, aiming to address the serious structural trade deficits. The overall strategy aims to develop ownership among local institutions and to build capacity to ensure that the NES is fully implementable. This […]