Academy for Educational Development

In late 2007, USAID/Lebanon contacted the Academy for Educational Development (AED) to discuss the potential for using FIELD-Support for development and implementation of a program to support USAID/Lebanon’s new economic growth objective. The Lebanon Business Linkages Initiative (LBLI) is based on findings and recommendations made by the FIELD-Support assessment team and comments and suggestions from USAID/Lebanon.

The $4.5 million, two-year initiative is being led by AED in collaboration with three other implementing partners – ACDI/VOCA, AFE, and BADER. The program aims to reduce poverty and joblessness in the tourism, ICT and agricultural sectors by:

• Expanding market access through business linkages;
• Improving access to finance and other supporting markets; and,
• Addressing systemic constraints to industry and small and medium enterprise (SME) growth.

By investing in competitive industries and working with the Lebanese private sector, AED and the LBLI are supporting the country’s recovery from war and providing the people with new opportunities to escape poverty and achieve economic stability.