Global challenges we face today—poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, and injustice—cannot be solved without the involvement of the private sector. Solutions will require transformation in the form of new business models, new innovation, and new technology. This opens up exciting opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) around the world, which represent 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide, to play an important role in creating positive social impact by driving job creation and inclusive growth, particularly for the economically vulnerable.
Our Model
Building Markets uses a proven, data-driven approach to strengthen the capacity of SMEs to contribute to markets through end-to-end services.
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FIND
Verify SMEs through surveys, create searchable business profiles, and publish market research.
BETTER MARKET INFORMATION
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BUILD
Enhance the commercial and digital capacity of SMEs through training and advisory services.
MORE COMPETITIVE SMES
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CONNECT
Enable SMEs to access customers and capital through matchmaking events and tender distribution.
IMPROVED MARKET EFFICIENCY
New contracts and capital create jobs, enhance livelihoods, and increase business capacity.
A more transparent and healthy market inspires confidence, strengthens investment, and enables inclusive growth.
Using local talent, our teams start by finding and verifying SME through in-person interviews where we collect hundreds of data points on each business. This data allows us to bring these businesses visibility, build their commercial capabilities, and connect them with demand opportunities in local, regional and global markets.
And we know this works. Since 2004, we have brought visibility to 26,700 SMEs, assisted them in winning over $1.36 billion in new contracts and $21 million in capital, and helped create more than 73,500 full-time equivalent jobs.
Explore Our Global Impact
When I joined Building Markets' program, I realized that a lot was missing from my daily business operations. I’m so grateful that, through training, I learned how to achieve more in the short-term, as well as define and set business goals.
U Myat Thu, Owner of Shae Thot - Myanmar
Our impact in Myanmar.
- 3,215
Businesses
Verified - 624
Businesses
Trained - $19.76M
Contracts
Facilitated
“Building Markets provides a bridge between suppliers and buyers and gives companies that use their services a chance to compete.”
Business Owner, Afghanistan - Afghanistan
Our impact in Afghanistan.
- 8,302
Businesses
Verified - $1,086,228,165
Contracts
Facilitated - 65,000
Jobs
Created
It is directly due to Building Markets’ efforts that we secured our first contract. After that, we had the leverage we needed to attract other jobs — both from our original partner and other NGOs.
Sasha Blanchet, Director-General of General Maintenance - Haiti
Our impact in Haiti.
- 3,966
Businesses
Verified - 1,023
Businesses
Trained - $28,763,865
Contracts
Facilitated
The creation of our company profile on Building Markets Matchmaking Platform improved our business visibility in a professional and presentable way. We would highly recommend Building Markets training to businesses who want to learn about marketing their products or importing to and exporting from Jordan.
Elham Zeadat, Chairwoman, Bloom Dead Sea Gift Enterprise - Jordan
Building Markets makes me feel that I have a partner who is interested in our growth, development and improvement.
Daniel Scott, Founder, Scott’s Industrial Construction - Liberia
Our impact in Liberia.
- 4,639
Businesses
Verified - 1,228
Businesses
Trained - $92,872,110
Contracts
Facilitated - 4,382
Jobs
Created
Mozambique is a complex operating environment where cultural and economic challenges persist. However, Building Markets has succeeded by carefully assessing needs, adapting its approach when needed, and actively engaging partners and stakeholders.
Edith Gouin, Fomer Senior Development Officer, Southern and Eastern Africa Global Affairs, Canada - Mozambique
Our impact in Mozambique.
- 362
Businesses
Verified - 255
Businesses
Trained - $12,504,564
Contracts
Facilitated
When I joined Building Markets' program, I realized that a lot was missing from my daily business operations. I’m so grateful that, through training, I learned how to achieve more in the short-term, as well as define and set business goals.
U Myat Thu, Owner of Shae Thot - မြန်မာ
Our impact in မြန်မာ.
- ၃,၂၁၅
Businesses
Verified - ၆၂၄
Businesses
Trained - $၁၉.၇၆ မီလီယံ
Contracts
Facilitated
I'm really happy with Building Markets’ assistance. Since listing my business with their service linking buyers to suppliers, I've received many more orders from NGOs and the government.
Marcelo dos Santos, Owner of KIOS Asela - Timor-Leste
Our impact in Timor-Leste.
- 3,090
Businesses
Verified - $13,594
Contracts
Facilitated - $20,329,729
Dollar
Value Impact
Not only has Building Markets opened up opportunities for me, but their training and support has helped me create a clear vision of my business’ potential.
Razan Alatassi, Founder of Salt and Sugar - Türkiye
Our impact in Türkiye.
- 2,917
Businesses
Verified - 784
Businesses
Trained - $19,594,027
Contracts
Facilitated - 4,329
Jobs
Created
I consider Building Markets to be one of the world's most innovative organizations working on rebuilding economies in war-torn and fragile states.
Robert Greenhill, Former Managing Director of the World Economic Forum
Learn How You Can Work With Us
We provide innovative and tailored services to small businesses and buyers, and engage investors, lenders, donors and partners in a range of customized ways.
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