Interventions Details | Pathways to Work

Highlights

Program description

MEPs provided access to financial capital, business training, and technical assistance to entrepreneurs with low incomes in communities without access to these services in order to improve the economic well-being of families with low incomes.

Evaluation

Microenterprise Assistance Programs (MEPs) was tested in 2 studies that included people who have/had the following characteristics: Self-employed.

Effect on long-term earnings

Pathways has no evidence to assess support for this intervention on long-term earnings. This means that there were no moderate- or high-quality studies of the effect of this intervention on long-term earnings.

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Summary

MEPs provided basic business training, facilitated access to financial capital and lending, and performed technical assistance for participants. The access to financial capital component included peer-to-peer lending, direct lending from the service organization, and guidance through the banking sector.

Participants were “microentrepreneurs” whose incomes were less than or equal to 150 percent of the national poverty line (in 1991 dollars). Microentrepreneurs could receive MEP services as long as their incomes remained at or below the income threshold.

The MEP model was part of a demonstration that took place at seven sites throughout the United States (St. Paul, MN; Chicago, IL; Iowa City, IA; Los Angeles, CA; Pine Bluff, AR; Raleigh, NC; and the Southwest), whose implementation of MEP varied in minor ways.

169.169.02-Microenterprise Assi

Populations and employment barriers:

169.169.01-Microenterprise Assi

Populations and employment barriers: Self-employed

Quick info

Intervention services

Financial education, Training

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Setting(s)

Tested in multiple settings

Year evaluation began

1991

Implementing organization(s)Women Venture (St. Paul, MN); Women's Self-Employment Project (Chicago, IL); Institute for Social and Economic Development (Iowa City, IA); Coalition for Women's Economic Development (Los Angeles, CA); Good Faith Fund (Pine Bluff, AR); Rural Economic Development Center (Raleigh, NC); and Portable Practical Education Program/Micro Industry Rural Credit Organization (Southwest United States).

Studies of this intervention

Study quality rating	Study counts per rating
Low	2

The Pathways Clearinghouse refers to interventions by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some intervention names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.