Grofin pioneers Gender Lens Investing
Grofin, a fund manager with extensive experience in the provision of non-financial services to help reduce risk in the SME segment, demonstrates the possibilities for growth through the Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF)’s Business Development Support (BDS). Grofin is one of the pioneers in providing pre- and post-investment support to SMEs. With the growth of their services, the involvement of the Seed Capital and Business Development (SC&BD) facility has evolved.
Business Development Support
The SC&BD facility of the Dutch Good Growth Fund began supporting Grofin in 2015, with a grant for BDS support. This grant was aimed at assisting Grofin in tackling the biggest challenge to the SME sector: the gap between entrepreneurs and institutional financers. The project entailed a review of Grofin’s BDS framework, processes and systems, and capacity building for Grofin staff and client relations.
The BDS support resulted in a dedicated team, fresh partnerships, implementation of a client satisfaction system, and a new Business Support strategy and policy.
BDS for women
The work with Grofin continues in 2020, with BDS and Technical Assistance in the field of gender lens investing. The project aims to answer questions related to the services Grofin provides, with gender as the basis of investigation:
- How can gender awareness be imbedded in organisations?
- What Business Development Services require adaptation to make them valuable for women?
The review of current practices and the subsequent adaptation of activities and services will result in enhanced understanding of female entrepreneurs. This will also make it possible for more efficient financial and non-financial services to reach women.