Assessing the Impact of Matching Grants on Business Growth: Evidence from Sierra Leone SMEs

This project involved a rigorous endline evaluation using quasi-experimental methods to assess the impact of matching grants on SME growth, productivity, and formalization across Sierra Leone. The evaluation was conducted for the International Growth Centre (IGC) as part of the Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project (SLEDP).

The study examined whether matching grants — a form of conditional business support — translated into measurable improvements in firm-level outcomes. By employing quasi-experimental evaluation design, DDS was able to generate credible, policy-actionable evidence on the effectiveness of the grant scheme in supporting small and medium enterprise development in Sierra Leone.

Deliverables included a Full Evaluation Report, a Policy Brief, and a Blog Post disseminating findings to a wider audience of development practitioners and policymakers.