Segmenting and Tailoring BDS for the sme market

Day 2 - Topic 1

Speakers

Mathilde Bauwin - Appui au Développement Autonome

Mathilde Bauwin

Head of Knoweldge Management, Appui au Développement Autonome

Solomon Legesse - ATI

Solomon Legesse

Team Lead Agrihub, ATI Ethiopia

Session Replay

Session Overview

Data is also valuable for Segmenting and Tailoring BDS for the SME market.The Agri-SME Learning Collective (ASLC) has proposed moving beyond use of traditional business size/stage criteria to include:


1. Legal Form: Private enterprises, social enterprises, cooperatives, unregistered organizations


2. Value Chain Position: Within value chain vs. serving value chain


3. Management Capacity Levels: Basic, Proficient, Advanced


ASLC then propose a rough categorization of BDS that is suitable for different SME segments. The full paper can be found here. It was then interesting to contrast this approach with a large-scale approach to segmentation by ATI Ethiopia which is shown in the graphic below.

 The Innovation Library... creates a platform where users are able to navigate to certain innovations based on their objectives.

Break Out Group Discussion

Complementarity Balance

  • Need sufficient complementarity between partners without creating competition
  • Example: Tension between organic-focused offtakers and chemical fertilizer input providers
  • Strategic partnership selection identified as underrated but critical

Coordination Burden

  • Coalition coordination is time-consuming and pulls staff from daily responsibilities
  • Grant funding in early stages can cover coordination costs until partners see value
  • May require hiring dedicated coordination staff initially

Codependency Risks

  • Biggest risk is partners becoming overly dependent on each other
  • Mitigation through strategic partner selection, clear agreements, data sharing, and equitable value/cost distribution

The discussion emphasized that strategic partner selection is often undervalued but essential for successful service coalitions. Early grant funding can help overcome initial coordination challenges.

We generated valuable member discussion and inspiration rather than specific action items, with participants sharing experiences and solutions around coalition challenges.

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