What is the Lesotho Enterprise Assistance Programme?
LEAP is a Matching Grant Scheme supporting enterprises in Lesotho to increase their competitiveness. LEAP covers up to 80% and 75% of the eligible expenses for enterprises and business associations respectively. It allows a wide range of eligible expenditures that support MSMEs to improve their productivity or growth, as well as strengthen their resilience to climatic shocks. Supported MSMEs will be eligible to finance investments that target improved productivity or business expansion, training and skills development, strengthening disaster risk management and/or capacity or other relevant expenditures.
The programme will also enhance its efforts to target MSMEs investing in digitization, environmentally and socially sustainable operations, with focus on resilience to disasters and other economic shocks.
Apply for LEAP Grant
Specific outreach will be made to target MSMEs led by women and youth, as well as those that are exposed to climatic shocks.
LEAP will support development and delivery of 10 skills development programmes and delivered by public or private training providers in partnership with the private sector. This responds to demand by firms in exporting sectors for skills that are unmet in the market. These programmes will be demand-driven as the private sector to be involved in the development of any programme to be financed under this window. The programme targets to train 1,000 people in over 6 years.
LEAP deals directly with beneficiaries who are expected to use the LEAP Portal to create their accounts, lodge applications and submit deliverables. Applications from agents will not be accepted.
For further information and preparation for lodging an application please read the following documents:
Are you eligible for LEAP assistance?
Private firms, including MSMEs, which are current producers, manufacturers, exporters, providers of tourism or other value-added services are eligible for LEAP grant assistance. In addition, the trade associations, chambers of commerce, properly constituted professional bodies (accountants, engineers, etc) and training institutions are eligible. Start-ups are not eligible. Applicants must have been in business for at least six (6) months.
What levels of Assistance does LEAP provide?
LEAP covers 80% of the cost of individual or programmes of specific business development activities for private companies. Normal business costs will not be supported. Grant support for business associations is 75%. All LEAP grants are paid after the activities have been completed and paid for in full.
Are the business development activities you plan to undertake eligible for assistance?
If you have contacted LEAP and are eligible for support, you are obviously considering business development activities for which you might seek grant assistance. Your next step should be to check if these are eligible for LEAP support. A list of eligible activities and costs is attached to this introduction to the Lesotho Enterprise Assistance Programme. They cover a wide range of business development services, their support costs and travel expenses for export and development activities agreed by LEAP.
Please note also costs that are ineligible.