SUPPORTING AGRI-MSMES IN LAOS: INSIGHTS FROM THE CLIPAD PROJECT
In Lao PDR, the growing contribution of agricultural MSMEs to economic growth, income genera-tion, and employment is increasingly supported by initiatives from both the government and the business community. In 2025, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry established an Agribusiness Development Office to further strengthen the sector.
In the first week in March, the Department of SME Promotion organised the Lao MSME Expo 2026, focusing on inclusive agro-processing goods and eco-tourism. The Expo brought together MSMEs from across Laos to showcase their products and connect with government agencies, financial institutions, and development partners supporting MSME growth.
Under the GIZ CliPAD project, GFA has a contract to support agricultural enterprises along selected value chains. The GFA team attended seminar sessions on intellectual property protection, digital transformation and e-commerce, and financing opportunities for MSMEs. The discussions high-lighted key opportunities as well as challenges faced by small businesses in Laos, particularly re-garding brand protection, digital market access, and access to finance. These discussions high-lighted both opportunities and challenges faced by small businesses in Laos, particularly related to brand protection, digital market access, and access to finance.
Beyond the presentations, the team visited several agri-MSME booths, engaging directly with en-trepreneurs from sectors such as coffee, tea, herbal products, and handicrafts. These exchanges provided valuable insights into their products, marketing strategies, and business challenges, while also allowing the team to inform businesses about the upcoming agri-MSME matching-grant and technical support programme.
> Please see the photos for an impression of the event and visit msmeexpo.la for more back-ground information.
> Learn more about the project
