Language

OVERVIEW

USAID's Future Growth Initiative (FGI) works to increase the competitiveness of high-growth industries in Central Asia through a market systems approach that incentivizes private and public sector behavior change. The activity facilitates the regionalization of business advisory and enabling environment ecosystems, harmonizes policies and regulations, fosters trade, and market linkages, and aligns the skills of women, youth, and vulnerable populations with private sector needs. From September 2023, the second phase of the initiative, FGI 2.0, launched and will additionally support the growth and competitiveness of digital and green economies, increase the participation and competitiveness of women entrepreneurs, promote greater involvement of youth in entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem development, and strengthen inclusion of vulnerable populations in national economies.

PRIORITIES  

  1. Fostering competitive industries through expansion into new regional and global markets to increase sales and exports while attracting local and international investment.
  2. Developing entrepreneurship and a capable workforce through targeted training to create new jobs or improve current ones.
  3. Creating conditions for jobs and investment by supporting legislative changes through public-private dialogue, policy analysis, and application of global standards.

KEY RESULTS 

  • USAID supported Kazakhstan's Magnum retail chain to launch an online sales platform, creating 4,814 new jobs (about 38 percent of which are held by women).

  • USAID supported DosCredoBank OJSC with the first-ever issuance of green bonds in Kyrgyzstan, attracting over $970,000 in investments for environmentally sustainable enterprises.
  • In partnership with USAID in Tajikistan, Farovon Holding implemented lean production processes and adopted International Financial Reporting Standards and Food Safety System Certification 22000 Standards. The company ultimately created and improved more than 400 jobs, raised over $10 million in new investments, and became an official World Food Program supplier.

  • With support from USAID’s export support platform in Turkmenistan, manufacturers Yupekchi, Hasar, and Kindi successfully entered new regional markets, collectively exporting 43 containers of goods worth $1,260,000.

  • USAID prioritized capacity building for women entrepreneurs and girls, advancing e-commerce through partnership with women’s foundation Sharq Ayoli, fostering IT skills in collaboration with Astrum IT Academy, promoting women’s startups through a joint initiative with IT Park, and developing new tourism products with APTA Community Based Tourism. These efforts led to 2,247 new and improved jobs and $150,949 in investments.

  • USAID partnered with the European Union-funded International Trade Center to train 130 entrepreneurs (80 percent of whom are women) in e-commerce; 112 trained participants created online stores, listed 1,660 products on eBay US, UK, and Germany, and sold 818 handicraft items worth over $68,000 to buyers in 26 countries.

    Through USAID’s collaboration with tourism stakeholders in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, more than 50 guesthouses have participated in a new quality classification system; dozens of communities now participate in local tourism programs, creating or improving 467 jobs (40 percent of which are held by women). Local tourism agencies created nearly 30 new tourist routes, promoting many of the region's most underdeveloped areas.

    USAID directly supported 17 policy changes in Central Asian countries, expanding opportunities for venture capital and startups, e-commerce, capital markets, and women’s entrepreneurship.

PERFORMANCE PERIOD: October 2019 - September 2026

CONTACT: Anar Yesdauletova, Project Management Specialist USAID Central Asia Email: ayesdauletova@usaid.gov

Image

New jobs created: 7.4K
Jobs improved: 14.11K
Trained individuals: 14.82K
Facilitated investment: 91.57M
Events: 1.1K
Laws improved: 17

Share This Page