CUBA | Feasibility study for MSMEs and entrepreneurial ecosystem assistance program
A country under economic and financial embargo by the United States since 1962, Cuba has been faced with a sharp slowdown in the national production sector since the 80/90s, which is almost exclusively state-owned, and with unstable supplies of basic products at affordable prices.
To reverse this trend, the Cuban government opened up part of its economy to the private sector in 2021, allowing 3 types of business in given sectors. AFD has seized this opportunity to propose a program to support these new players, subject to the conclusions of a feasibility study entrusted to our consortium.
Red Mangrove provided expertise in technical and financial support for the private sector, as well as analysis of the Cuban institutional context. Together, the members of the Pluricité and Initiative International consortium produced :
- An in-depth diagnosis of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the difficulties faced by MIPYMES, based on the results of a quantitative survey, focus groups and multiple meetings with entrepreneurs and institutional partners.
- A proposal for structuring the project, based on the strengths of the diagnosis and proposing measures to compensate for weaknesses, from the point of view of technical, technological and financial support (including the possibility of financing inspired by the “loan on trust” scheme).
- Support for the operationalization phase, to overcome any implementation difficulties specific to Cuba: payment system, project management scheme, etc.
These services included special attention to the gender, climate and innovation dimensions.
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