Policy paper

Global Business Environment programme

These Prosperity Fund documents explain how the programme supports emerging economies and also provide the memorandum of understanding between relevant parties.

Documents

Details

This programme aims to improve the business environment in middle-income economies by stimulating growth and creating jobs, helping to lift people out of poverty. It is worth £30 million over 4 years, and aims to support reforms that improve the business environment in a range of middle-income countries. It also aims to unlock inclusive growth for women, who can be disproportionately affected by a poor business environment.

Launched in October 2017 alongside the World Bank’s Global Investment Competitiveness Report, the programme will be delivered in partnership with the World Bank. The programme will provide technical assistance to national governments and sub-national authorities to support their reform programmes by improving capacity in areas like investment promotion and fostering competition.

A favourable business environment can create opportunities and incentives for companies to expand into new markets, increase market share, invest, and generate jobs to unlock growth and lift people out of poverty. Global growth improves opportunities for international business, including UK companies, to contribute to and benefit from economic growth in other countries.

Middle income countries are widely recognised as engines of global growth. However weak institutions and inadequate regulations often constrain growth and exacerbate challenges such as low productivity levels.

Published 14 May 2018
Last updated 26 March 2020 + show all updates
  1. Annual Review 2019 to 2020 document added.

  2. Annual review added

  3. Memorandum of Understanding agreement added

  4. First published.