What we do
ADA runs technical assistance programmes to strengthen the resilience of local economic actors in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Our work consists of three complementary activities: supporting local actors with technical assistance programmes, financing impactful organisations by advising Luxembourg-based investment vehicles and sharing the lessons learned with other development and impact finance stakeholders.
SUPPORT: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
ADA’s technical assistance is provided in an innovative, experimental manner. Short-term test projects are run with actors deemed to be best placed for developing solutions for vulnerable people before implementing larger, more ambitious programmes. ADA currently runs the following technical assistance programmes:
Sustainable agriculture and forestry
ARCC – Climate-resilient agriculture
ADA helps smallholder farmers to adopt sustainable practices with the aim of increasing their resilience to climate change and of protecting their livelihoods.
Digitalisation of agricultural value chains – F 2.0
The Farmer 2.0 (F2.0) programme facilitates interactions between MFIs, cooperatives and farmers via a digital solution to support agricultural financing in Africa.
Strengthening forestry value chains
The programme strengthens forestry value chains by connecting different actors and by providing tailored financing and training in sustainable practices for smallholder farmers, small-scale forest owners as well as businesses.
Impactful entrepreneurship
Young people and green jobs
The programme facilitates the socio-professional integration of young people by supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises committed to environmental issues.
EVER — Énergie verte pour le développement rural (Green Energy for Rural Development)
The programme aims to extend access to solar energy to develop economic activities and improve living conditions in rural areas of West Africa.
Leveraging impact investments through technical assistance
SSNUP — Smallholder SustaiNability Upscaling Programme
The programme aims to increase the resilience of smallholder farmers and to strengthen agricultural value chains with technical assistance and investments.
ICFI — Inclusive Climate Finance Initiative
ICFI unlocks climate finance to enable vulnerable people to adapt to climate change.
Inclusive and innovative finance
Inclusive and innovative finance projects in collaboration with strategic public partners such as the Luxembourg Cooperation and the European Investment Bank as well as well as technical assistance for selected investees of investment vehicles such as LMDF and FIT.
FINANCE: INVESTMENT ADVICE
ADA acts as an impact investment adviser to Luxembourgish investment vehicles such as:
LMDF — Luxembourg Microfinance & Development Fund
ADA prospects microfinance institutions (MFIs) for investments by the LMDF fund, monitors the approved investments and coordinates technical assistance projects in support of the institutions.
FIT — Financing Innovation Tool
FIT offers flexible, long-term catalytic capital solutions to support innovative businesses and financial institutions in developing countries. By accepting a higher level of risk than conventional financing, this capital acts as a lever: it mobilises additional public and private resources that would otherwise not have been accessible.
SHARE EXPERTISE: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
ADA identifies the lessons learnt and shares its experience from its activities and those of other stakeholders in the development and inclusive finance sectors, with a view to improving interventions and maximising their impact.
IN A NUTSHELL
Financing, supporting and sharing expertise: three levers for making target populations less vulnerable.