About Oxfam's Enterprise Programme

Oxfam's Enterprise Programme adopts an innovative approach to building sustainable businesses, combining elements of private equity and rural economic development. We invest where others don’t go – and where the potential for social impact is highest.

With your support, Oxfam provides an intelligent mix of loans and grants to small and medium enterprises throughout the Global South, helping people to work their way out of poverty. But it’s not just about providing capital. It’s about identifying business opportunities, and helping entrepreneurs develop and implement viable business plans. It’s a pioneering, business-based approach to development.

The Enterprise Programme combines Oxfam’s international presence and experience with the finance and expertise of our supporters and partners. It creates wealth and drives change in poor communities. Crucially, it helps many thousands of people – especially women – to work their way out of poverty.

We are able to recyle up to 60% of fund recycled into the programme. As credit guarantees we provide to businesses are repaid, we then use these funds to support credit facilities for new businesses coming into the programme.

For businesses that need larger amounts of capital to grow their business we have the are launching Women in Enterprise Fund a new investment vehicle managed by Alterfin. This fund is being piloted with £3m of cornerstone investment from Oxfam with the aim to scale up to a £20m investment fund.

The Enterprise Programme Board brings together like-minded and influential individuals who are passionate about tackling poverty by supporting would-be entrepreneurs and business people.

Each Board Member is crucial to the success of the programme, aiming to develop successful businesses in poor communities, which result in jobs and opportunities for all.

The Board has committed to work with the Programme Manager to develop the structure and shape of the Enterprise Development Programme, contributing personal expertise, as well as raising upwards of £6 million to deliver the programme.

Abrar Shahriyar Mridha, EDP Programme Manager

Abrar is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and currently pursuing Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification aligning him perfectly with his experience, passion and interest to drive systematic change for impact SME’s and alternative investment ecosystem. He has nine-year track record in leading and driving social entrepreneurship, blended financial models, strategic partnerships, fundraising, policy influencing and innovation to generate new ideas and narrate them into stories for transformative change. Abrar has also been recognized as a ‘Changemaker’ through his engagements as a Global Public Voices Fellow at Cornell University, Fellow in Youth Policy Forum, Talent in the Future Leaders InnovAsian Programme (FLIP) at Code for Asia and Ambassador in UN Sustainable Development Solution Network (SDSN).

Asif Ahmed, EDP Programme Officer

Asif has a background in working with different USAID projects in Bangladesh that focused on private sector engagement and market systems development. He is a business graduate and completed a master’s degree in development studies later. Asif has a proven track record of success in developing and implementing enterprise development programs, as well as working closely with stakeholders to ensure successful outcomes. While not working, he is passionate about public speaking, sports analysis, and traveling.

Edward Thomas, Oxfam Partnerships Manager

Edward’s background is in financial services & philanthropy, and he is passionate about the opportunity to use capital and technical assistance to bring about catalytic change for enterprises around the world. He is the key point of contact for philanthropists and other partners who are interested to find out more about Oxfam’s Enterprise Programme and how they might connect with Oxfam.