The private sector plays a predominant role in sustainable economic growth. Private businesses, the bulk of which consist of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), create jobs, provide the driving force for new technologies, contribute to the enlargement of the tax-base and play a key part in the progressive integration of these economies at the regional and global level.

SECO aims to intervene in three ways in the field of private sector development, and also has a number of complementary instruments at its disposal:

The intervention measures designed to strengthen the development of the private sector in SECO's priority countries concern both developing and transition countries as well as the new members of the European Union within the terms of Switzerland's Enlargement Contribution.