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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and other partners, has commenced the verification of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) involved in post-rice production activities across Sierra Leone.
The exercise forms part of the selection process for the second cohort of beneficiaries under the Empowering West African Women Small and Medium Enterprises (EWASME) project.
The initiative is designed to identify women-led and women-owned businesses that have the potential to grow and benefit from targeted support aimed at improving their access to finance, markets, skills and business opportunities.
The EWASME project is funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and co-funded and implemented by UNDP.
The programme operates across Guinea, Niger, Senegal and Sierra Leone, with a total budget of approximately US$11.5 million under the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi).
In Sierra Leone, the project focuses particularly on women-owned or women-led businesses operating in the post-production segment of the rice value chain.
This includes enterprises involved in activities such as rice processing, packaging and distribution.
The project was launched in Sierra Leone in April 2024 and aims to support at least 200 women-led SMEs and 500 very small enterprises (VSEs) during its implementation period. A further 300 enterprises are expected to benefit through complementary activities.
The programme operates in Bonthe and Kambia Districts and is expected to contribute to the creation of approximately 2,000 direct and 4,000 indirect jobs.
The ongoing verification exercise is an important stage in selecting businesses for the project’s second cohort.
Through the process, participating enterprises are assessed to determine whether they meet the requirements for support under the programme.
The broader objective is to help promising women-led businesses become more competitive and better positioned to access markets and financing.
Support under EWASME includes interventions designed to improve business capacity, market readiness and profitability, with beneficiaries potentially receiving training, grants and market linkages.
The latest verification exercise builds on an earlier selection process that included an enterprise pitch fair held in Magburaka in June 2025.
During that exercise, 182 shortlisted women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises from Torma Bum in Bonthe and Tonkolili District participated in pitching their business ideas before a selection committee.
The pitch fair provided an opportunity to identify agribusinesses with growth potential and determine the areas where targeted assistance could have the greatest impact.
The support is particularly relevant for women operating in agricultural value chains, where limited access to finance, technology, markets and business development services can restrict the ability of enterprises to expand.
The verification of SMEs is part of wider efforts to develop a stronger and more inclusive agribusiness sector in Sierra Leone.
The EWASME project aligns with national initiatives aimed at increasing agricultural productivity, strengthening food systems and expanding economic opportunities for women.
It also supports the broader objectives of the government’s Feed Salone programme and the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act of 2023, which provides a legal framework for promoting women’s participation and economic empowerment.
By targeting businesses involved in post-rice production, the programme is also seeking to strengthen an important part of the agricultural value chain, from processing and packaging to getting locally produced rice to consumers.
The ongoing verification exercise is therefore expected to play an important role in identifying the enterprises that will receive support under the second EWASME cohort and further expanding opportunities for women entrepreneurs in Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector.
