The Investment Promotion Programme
Published 28 June 2019
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| Programme title: | The Investment Promotion Programme |
| Lead department: | Department for International Trade |
| Countries: | India, The Philippines, South Africa and Nigeria (main target countries); Peru and Pakistan (reserve countries) |
| Programme duration: | 5 years (until 2022 to 2023) |
| Programme budget: | £24.7 million |
Overview
Funded through the cross-government Prosperity Fund, the Investment Promotion Programme (IPP) is the Department for International Trade’s first Official Development Assistance (ODA) funded programme.
IPP will support key developing countries to attract foreign direct investment, which will build stable economies and reduce their reliance on aid. Targeted interventions will lead to an improvement in the quality of services delivered by foreign investment promotion organisations, their promotion campaigns and the investment projects they support.
Supporting investment promotion can fast-track economic transformation, helping to pave the way towards prosperity.
Increasing the attractiveness and capability of developing countries for foreign direct investment (FDI) can help create jobs, and boost skills and productivity in the local economy of the focal countries.
The object of the programme is to promote sustainable development in the relevant countries to:
- reduce poverty
- achieve higher living standards
- address gender inequality
Why is UK support needed
Lack of support and infrastructure for investors in developing countries limits their ability to attract and retain FDI.
Targeted interventions can address this and enhance trade and investment opportunities in developing countries. This will help them improve the quality of their services, build effective promotion campaigns and grow the investment projects they facilitate, creating a better investment environment for global business. In turn, this will grow the economies of these developing countries.
Overview of work on each strand
Capacity building of investment promotion agencies
Specialist technical support to increase the effectiveness of investment agencies in developing countries and create a better investment environment for global business.
Investment promotion campaigns and events
Supporting investment promotion efforts and creating greater awareness of the opportunities in partner countries to spark investment and drive growth.
Public private partnerships (PPPs)
Supporting target governments to promote a pipeline of viable PPP projects, ensuring they are marketed sufficiently.
Trade and investment integrity
We are supporting partner countries to:
- tackle corruption and fraud
- drive up ethical standards
- create more viable and attractive investment opportunities
Secondary benefit
Improving the trade and investment environment in developing countries is a win for those living in poverty and a win for the UK.
It will help open up opportunities for global business, including those from the UK, to expand and to access new markets, building the UK’s trading partners of the future. Improved trade with developing countries helps lower prices for consumers at home and increases the choice of goods available. Outward investment brings with it the potential for high returns on investment and increased potential for exports - all of which contribute significantly to the UK economy.
Shared prosperity underpins national, regional and global stability and security. Prosperous, thriving communities and countries linked into the international trading system are far less likely to produce conflict, terrorism and mass migration.