Katalyst follows a pro-poor, market development approach in promoting economic growth. We focus on sectors with high growth potential in terms of jobs, productivity, and profitability, and where there are other strategic economic considerations (such as export potential). Katalyst partners with a wide range of private and public sector organizations in order to leverage our resources and maximize impact.

The impact of the first phase (which finished in March 2008) of the project was impressive; Katalyst helped to create almost 200,000 jobs and, thanks to the project, more than 700,000 enterprises and farmers benefited from access to better services, more advanced technology, better quality inputs and more effective representation.

Whom does the project work with

The targets for the second phase (April 2008 – March 2013) are even more demanding; to reach more than 1.2 million enterprises and farmers, increasing incomes by 10% and helping to create or safeguard more than half a million jobs.

Katalyst is implemented under the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) of the Government of Bangladesh by Swisscontact and GTZ International Services.

How does the project work

Katalyst’s approach is designed to benefit the poor as producers, entrepreneurs, employees or consumers. The market development approach we use is based on the premise that better private and public sector business services, and an improved enabling environment lead to more competitive enterprises, which in turn leads to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction.

We work on a sector wide basis; targeting growth opportunities and removing constraints. In the context of our guiding principles, we develop a comprehensive sector strategy to guide our engagement, identifying leverage potential and synergies, and focusing on achieving scale of impact.

In partnership with market players, Katalyst designs and implements interventions to treat the underlying causes of weak markets, not the superficial symptoms. A key feature of these interventions is that they harness market incentives to encourage scaling up and ensure sustainability.

Contact

Swisscontact
Sabera House, House - 20, Road -6,Baridhara, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
Phone ++ 880 (0) 2 8823822 / 8859233
Fax ++ 880 (0) 2 882 9555
E-mail:  info@swisscontact-bd.org
Website: www.katalystbd.com