About RuralInvest
RuralInvest is a free toolkit designed to support field technicians in their work with entrepreneurs by allowing the systematization and development of bankable, solid, and sustainable business proposals.
The toolkit comprises user-friendly software, an e-learning course, tailored face-to-face training, user manuals, and a worldwide community of users. Through a participatory and bottom-up approach, RuralInvest methodology brings together local communities, rural entrepreneurs, government field technicians, project staff, and financing institutions to identify, prepare, evaluate and finance small-and medium-size sustainable rural investment projects.
Elements of the toolkit
- User-friendly software to develop business plans
- An e-learning course to master the methodology
- Tailored face-to-face trainings to develop national capacities
- User manuals and training materials
- Worldwide Community of users
FAO has rolled out the participatory, interactive toolkit in over 40 countries, trained more than 1.000 people, and more than 2.000 business plans have been developed.
RIV20: the RuralInvest software to develop business plans
RuralInvest in 2022
Why target agriculture and rural businesses?
Small-scale rural businesses produce 80% of the world’s food supply and make up by far the most significant numbers of investors in on-farm capital. However, they still have many difficulties accessing funds from national or international funding institutions.
Furthermore, the particular nature of agriculture needs specific solutions.
For that reason, the objective is to develop a sound business plan through a participatory approach and software that specifically targets and is context-appropriate for small-scale agribusiness models (production, livestock, services, agro-processing).
Where we work
Our certified RuralInvest trainers are in the regions and countries displayed below. To contact them, write us to [email protected] specifying the country you are writing from and the reasons why you want to contact them.
