Yetunde Olarewaju
Senior Associate, Planning & Communications
World MSME Day 2025
The United Nations General Assembly declared 27th June as Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, to raise public awareness of their contribution to sustainable development and the global economy
What is World MSME Day?
World Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Day is celebrated on June 27th every year. Founded by the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness of the tremendous contributions of enterprises to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). SMEs account for 90% of businesses, 60 to 70% of employment and 50% of GDP worldwide, according to the World Bank. As the backbone of societies everywhere they contribute to local and national economies sustaining livelihoods for the very poor among us.
Purpose
The United Nations General Assembly declared 27 June as Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, to raise public awareness of their contribution to sustainable development and the global economy. Policymakers must move beyond recovery and consider ways in which to lower and eliminate barriers faced by MSMEs, improve the business environment and access to finance, markets and technology in these fragile times. It is critical that countries and their development partners continue to support and empower MSMEs and unlock their full potential through inspiring innovation, creativity and decent work for all.
MSMEs in the GAIN Strategy
Seeing how important MSMEs are to reducing malnutrition and improving food systems around the world, GAIN partners with governments, the civil society, among others, to provide targeted interventions towards MSMEs to strengthen their capacity to produce and make safe nutritious foods accessible and affordable to the very poor.
GAIN has developed targeted interventions for MSMEs to strengthen their expertise, knowledge and approach to include nutritious and healthier meals to their food processing and business operations.
These interventions range from technical assistance, grant financing, business to business linkages, technical support for product formulation, capacity building, supply of premixes and fortificants, food safety best practices, innovation challenges, and more.