The self-assessment tool has been designed specifically with SMEs in Sierra Leone in mind, enabling companies to evaluate their investment readiness against a defined set of parameters so they can better understand where they are on their journey and find out which areas they should prioritise to improve their investment proposition.
This framework comprises nine voluntary principles designed to help financial institutions integrate environmental, social and governance considerations into lending, investment and business decision-making. It represents Sierra Leone’s first coordinated, sector-wide framework for integrating ESG considerations into financial sector decision-making.
This sector-level guidance supports financial institutions with the implementation of the voluntary sustainable finance principles. It is tailored for a diverse range of financial institutions – from microfinance lenders to larger commercial banks – and focuses on the “everyday” business of banking with micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Sierra Leone, covering the key sectors: agriculture, fisheries and forestry; construction; energy and energy efficiency; and value chains (e.g. manufacturing and wholesale/retail trade).
Find out how a partnership between Invest Salone, Vista Bank Sierra Leone and the Small Foundation is shifting the bank’s portfolio toward lending to SMEs by strengthening credit assessment tools and improving sector knowledge, with support from a risk-sharing guarantee.
The March 2026 edition includes coverage of our January showcase and highlights stories and resources about the partnerships, technical support and investment outcomes exhibited at the event.
Discover more about Freetown Waste Transformers, the operational support they received from Redsalt Angel Investment Network and the impact of investment in the company.
Discover more about Jolaks, the ecosystem support they received and the impact of Proparco’s investment in the company.
Explore Jolaks’s investment journey to its deal with Proparco.
Find out about how Jolaks, one of Sierra Leone’s largest oil palm refineries, is taking a new approach to working with smallholder farmers to create jobs and a sustainable revenue stream for farmers, as well as offering training and development opportunities.
Find out more about the power of public–private dialogue to deliver policy reforms that address trade and business challenges in Sierra Leone.