Small actors in agricultural value chains are tied to markets through a series of forward and backward business linkages, which incorporate various types of business models. The complexity of these business models varies according to the commodity, number of actors involved, local context and market structure. Aimed at designers of agricultural value chain projects, rural development projects and enterprise development projects, together with grassroots NGOs that implement smallholder commercialization projects, these guidelines have been developed to facilitate the design and implementation of interventions that strengthen business models linking smallholders to value chains. An important contribution of this publication to existing literature on agricultural value chains is the guidance it provides on designing business model strategies that do not only link smallholders to markets, but that also encourage practitioners to consider the quality of market inclusion and its impact on poverty reduction.