Understanding access to business financing for young entrepreneurs with and without disabilities in urban Uganda and Ghana

This research is part of collaborative project between Standard Chartered, Sightsavers and Challenges Worldwide to address entrepreneurship and employability for young people under Futuremakers. This study involves a formative assessment of the business financing options accessible to and preferred by young entrepreneurs with and without disabilities. This study will also evaluate how access to financial products affects young entrepreneurs, both with and without disabilities, and their businesses, while identifying improvements that can be made.

The research will inform the development, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based financial inclusion interventions targeted at youth with and without disabilities.

There is little in-depth research to document how the needs and barriers to growth of micro-businesses are addressed across entrepreneurs with or without a disability. Similarly, the effects of the different support initiatives on micro-businesses in poor urban areas of low income countries have not been investigated.

This research aims to inform financial inclusion policy debates in Uganda, Ghana and internationally about the most effective ways to strengthen and ultimately grow micro-businesses led by young people, the factors influencing the types of support that can be offered and how this is structured to entrepreneurs which will better prepare them to grow their businesses sustainably.

The main objective is to understand the financing options that young men and women with and without disabilities in business prefer or have access to; and the barriers to accessing different financing options. The study will also evaluate the effects of the programme interventions on young people’s businesses and seek to interrogate how this programme can be further improved.

The specific objectives will be:

• To identify the different types of business financing options accessible by and preferred by young entrepreneurs with and without disabilities including what drives them to use these options
• To understand existing barriers for young entrepreneurs with and without disabilities in accessing and using the different business financing products, what can be done to address these and recommendations for more widespread access
• To describe how financial products from the Ready for inclusive and sustainable employment and entrepreneurship (RISE/E) programme affect young entrepreneurs with and without disabilities and their businesses and how they can be further improved
• Develop a database that includes demographic, socio-economic and business financing information to facilitate the evaluation of success or failure with access to finance

• Mixed
• Participatory