Kickstarting businesses and development in emerging markets
The lab of tomorrow is one of the services for private sector cooperation of the Agency for Business & Economic Development (AWE). AWE operates as part of the business and development network Partners in Transformation.
Partners in Transformation is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to actively promote and strengthen cooperation with actors in the private sector: companies, trade unions, chambers of commerce, associations
and other interest groups. Partners in Transformation emphasizes the partnership between the private sector and development cooperation, with the shared goal of achieving a social and environmental transformation in BMZ’s partner countries.
The programmes work with companies, trade unions, chambers of commerce, associations and other interest groups.
Find out more at Private sector | BMZ (German only)
📢 Manuel disponibles en français!
Our track record
The lab of tomorrow has been the programme of choice by GIZ projects, the Austrian and the Swiss Development Agencies as well as companies to solve specific development challenges all over the world.
Your opportunities
Learn how you can benefit from the lab of tomorrow programme.
Solve your development challenge
The lab of tomorrow programme activates the private sector to achieve SDG impact. Your advantages of initiating a programme include:
- Let the private sector solve your development challenge – we help you identify unmet needs with business potential.
- As an initiator, you steer the programme and bring in all the people necessary for success.Â
- Benefit from our network and gain access to business partners, development agencies, investors, mentors and policy makers.
- The impact created by the lab of tomorrow programme goes beyond development cooperation project lifespans.
Develop your business in emerging markets
Expand into emerging markets together with new business partners! Your benefits of participating in the programme include:
- Business case sourcing: We identify business opportunities in emerging markets for you to choose from.
- Participant sourcing & matching: We match you with relevant local and international companies in interdisciplinary teams.
- As a team, you co-create a new product or service and benefit from business development coaching.
- Partner network access: you gain access to business partners, investors, mentors and policy makers.
Invest in solutions and support innovations
Gain access to impact investment opportunities in various markets and sectors! Your benefits in supporting our ventures include:
- Be the first to know about investment opportunities in untapped markets.
- You become part of our strong network of innovators and entrepreneurs.
- Receive access to invest in our ventures at different stages. We invite you to pitch sessions, demo days and share our dealbook.
- Bring in companies from your portfolio and offer them interesting business development opportunities.
How it works
Find out how sustainable and profitable business models are created in a lab of tomorrow programme and what’s in it for you.
Challenge in spotlight
Take a glance at our most recent lab of tomorrow business opportunities.
Increasing tax revenues from SMEs in Zambia
Ready to create impact?
Currently running challenges
Take a look at our currently running challenges and the potential business opportunities they present for you.
Increasing tax revenues from SMEs in Zambia
This challenge is in phase: Sustainable Business
How might we improve Zambia's taxation of small and medium-sized enterprises?
Only 35 of the 72 districts of Zambia offer tax offices for citizens and enterprises to declare and pay their taxes, resulting in common delays in tax payments from one to two years. Tax collection from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been further complicated by a predominant reliance on cash as the medium of exchange and a lack of accounting records and poor bookkeeping.
The challenge was identified in cooperation with fellow GIZ projects and companies with knowledge of the local context and needs, thus identifying a challenge with a true need for innovative business solutions.
01
Understand
While the informal sector including SMEs has been rapidly growing in Zambia, its tax contributions to the Zambian Government has continued to be insignificant: 70 % of the VAT revenues come from 1% of the enterprises, while only 5-10 % of the revenue comes from 90 % of the SMEs. According to estimates, SMEs generate between 40 to 60 % of GDP in Zambia.
We looked into the local context of the challenge through interviews, site visits and academic research to enable the participants to create their business ideas based on the facts and needs on the ground. Learn more about taxes and SMEs in Zambia in our report, which you can download by scrolling down.
Â
02
Ideate Solutions
03
Incubate business
2 out of 2 ventures passed this phase.04
Sustainable Business
TaxOnPhone
TaxOnPhone is a mobile and electronic tax system that enables tax declaration and payment through mobile phones for SMEs.
More information
Contact
lab-of-tomorrow@giz.deDownloads
Increasing tax revenues from SMEs in Zambia
This challenge is in phase: Sustainable Business
How might we improve Zambia's taxation of small and medium-sized enterprises?
Only 35 of the 72 districts of Zambia offer tax offices for citizens and enterprises to declare and pay their taxes, resulting in common delays in tax payments from one to two years. Tax collection from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been further complicated by a predominant reliance on cash as the medium of exchange and a lack of accounting records and poor bookkeeping.
The challenge was identified in cooperation with fellow GIZ projects and companies with knowledge of the local context and needs, thus identifying a challenge with a true need for innovative business solutions.
01
Understand
While the informal sector including SMEs has been rapidly growing in Zambia, its tax contributions to the Zambian Government has continued to be insignificant: 70 % of the VAT revenues come from 1% of the enterprises, while only 5-10 % of the revenue comes from 90 % of the SMEs. According to estimates, SMEs generate between 40 to 60 % of GDP in Zambia.
We looked into the local context of the challenge through interviews, site visits and academic research to enable the participants to create their business ideas based on the facts and needs on the ground. Learn more about taxes and SMEs in Zambia in our report, which you can download by scrolling down.
Â
02
Ideate Solutions
03
Incubate business
2 out of 2 ventures passed this phase.04
Sustainable Business
TaxOnPhone
TaxOnPhone is a mobile and electronic tax system that enables tax declaration and payment through mobile phones for SMEs.