Côte d’Ivoire Adopts Bill to Strengthen Development of SMEs and Mid-Sized Enterprises

In 2021, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) accounted for approximately 23% of Côte d’Ivoire’s GDP and formal employment. To boost their contribution to the economy, the Côte d’Ivoire SME Agency supported 12,767 businesses in 2024, bringing the total number of SMEs assisted since 2017 to 56,225.

The Ivorian government has adopted a bill aimed at reinforcing the development of SMEs and mid-sized enterprises (ETIs). This announcement was made following the Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

The bill provides for the establishment of an improved institutional framework to coordinate, finance, and promote SMEs and ETIs. It introduces a harmonized definition for these categories of businesses, specifies specific benefits reserved for national companies, and extends the local content requirement to all projects supported by public funding or public-private partnerships.

The bill also establishes a mechanism to monitor and evaluate the national SME policy, as well as a support fund intended to strengthen the public support ecosystem and enhance the country’s economic sovereignty.

In Côte d’Ivoire, SMEs represented 23% of GDP and formal employment in 2021, according to official data. To further stimulate this sector, several initiatives have been launched, such as the Economic Program for Innovation and Business Transformation (PEPITE) in 2022. Continuing this momentum, the Côte d’Ivoire SME Agency supported 12,767 SMEs in 2024.