Our Mission

The Value Initiative of the SEEP Network works with innovative and committed partners to advance urban value chain development and help millions of people work their way out of poverty.

Our Programs

The Value Initiative works through two practition learning programs (PLPs) and facilitates a global enterprise development community of practice.

Business Planning for Sustainability and Scale-up

The Value Initiative provides planning grants, peer networking, and links to funders for 5 advanced practitioners. These leaders are combining lessons from value chain development, social enterprise, and fair trade to innovate “next generation” enterprise development programs. Partners are seeking funding – social investments and/or grants – to reach unprecedented scale in their sustainable poverty eradication work.

For more information, please contact Mary McVay, Director of the Value Initiative. mcvay@seepnetwork.org

Urban Value Chain Development PLP

The Value Initiative supports 9 partnerships with planning grants for sustainable, scalable enterprise development, using value chain development as a tool. Proposals will be completed in December, 2008. The SEEP Network will support 3-4 partners to implement demonstration and capacity building programs over 3 years. Partners will engage in peer exchange and will share lessons with other practitioners. Programs that do not receive funding will be seeking funding for their urban enterprise development work.

Share your urban value chain development work! Practitioners involved in urban value chain development work are invited to join this practitioner learning program as volunteer partners.
For more information, please contact Mary McVay, Director of the Value Initiative. mcvay@seepnetwork.org

A Global Enterprise Development Network

The Value Initiative is facilitating a global enterprise development network, here on the Enterprise Development Exchange. Look for opportunities to get involved, and develop a strategy for advancing enterprise development work.

Are you a member of an enterprise development network, such as a “BDS” network or other informal coordinating group?
Let’s work together to collaborate at the global level.

Business Planning for Sustainability and Scale-up

The Value Initiative provides planning grants, peer networking, and links to funders for 5 advanced practitioners. These leaders are combining lessons from value chain development, social enterprise, and fair trade to innovate “next generation” enterprise development programs. Partners are seeking funding – social investments and/or grants – to reach unprecedented scale in their sustainable poverty eradication work.

For more information, please contact Mary McVay, Director of the Value Initiative. mcvay@seepnetwork.org

Project Description

By 2008, for the first time in history, over half of the world’s population will live in cities. One in three urban residents currently lives in a slum—a billion people, a sixth of the world’s population.

How can the resources of today’s cities be harnessed to reduce poverty?

The Value Initiative provides:

• Grants for learning, capacity building, and expansion
• Technical Expertise to advance learning and practice
• The Enterprise Development Exchange, a new, interactive website for practitioners, technical experts, researchers, and funders.

The Value Initiative is forming a global community of practice to:

• Advance sustainable urban economic development strategies
• Innovate, build capacity, develop leadership, and stimulate social investment
• Reach more people with poverty-eradicating services, on a sustainable basis

Key Outputs (planned or achieved):

• Interactive website, The Enterprise Development Exchange
• Publications, learning tools, trainings
• Demonstration programs and improved practitioner and trainer/advisory capacity
• Business plans for sustainability and scale-up, links to expansion funding

Resources

Please see attached draft paper “Urban Value Chain Development 2008” – a literature review and synthesis of an on-line discussion. This paper lays out key issues, lessons to date and potential future strategies.