IBES Program

Industry and Business Environmental Support (IBES)

ICD launched the Industry and Business Environmental Support (IBES) Program in 2011. In collaboration with the governments of its member countries, ICD aimed to identify the critical challenges hindering the growth of both businesses and the private sector, working closely with public and private partners to identify solutions. This would allow them to put into place necessary technical assistance interventions, and to mobilize the partnerships, expertise, and resources required to enable their implementation.

The IBES advisory program focused on the four following themes:

i) Special Economic Zones – involvement at a spatial level
ii) Business environment – involvement at the national level
iii) Value chains – involvement at the sector level
iv) Firm productivity and innovation – involvement at a company level

The program drew on the many lessons learned since its inception more than eight years ago, responding to a growing need among member countries to have tailored business solutions – particularly in the context of increasing fragility caused by the effects of war.

In 2016, the IBES program started to focus on the topics of both value chains and firm-level support (i.e. themes iii and iv) as applied in conflict settings.