On small island states like Cabo Verde, development challenges are often shaped by physical distance, limited access to finance, and the uneven reach of institutions. Translating the Sustainable Development Goals into meaningful local outcomes therefore depends on whether global commitments can be effectively embedded within municipal systems, local economies, and everyday livelihoods. On the islands of Fogo and Brava, this connection between global goals and local action has become increasingly tangible through a locally driven approach to development.
Between 2024 and 2025, a joint programme supported by the Joint SDG Fund explored how closer collaboration between municipalities, local entrepreneurs, and financing mechanisms could accelerate the localisation of the SDGs. Implemented by UNDP and UNIDO in partnership with the Government of Cabo Verde and four municipal authorities, the initiative tested a practical model that placed local private sector actors at the centre of development. By linking entrepreneurship support, municipal governance, and targeted financing, the programme generated concrete SDG-related results in some of the country’s most remote territories.
A hybrid incubation approach was introduced through the Semente de Ideias programme, combining digital tools with in-person mentoring tailored to the realities of island life. Forty early-stage entrepreneurs, nearly half of whom were women, received customised support to strengthen their business ideas. Seven ventures secured seed capital, while additional micro and small enterprises benefited from in-depth diagnostics and tailored business improvement plans. At the same time, four young professionals were trained and embedded within municipal structures, reinforcing local technical capacity and ensuring that skills remained rooted in the communities they serve.
Rather than focusing on isolated interventions, the programme adopted an integrated territorial approach aimed at building durable local systems. Central to this effort was the establishment of the Fogo and Brava Innovation Lab, the first legally recognised multi-municipal regional incubator in Cabo Verde. Designed to serve entrepreneurs across two islands, the Lab brought innovation services closer to communities and reduced long-standing disparities between urban centres and more remote areas.
By the end of the programme, twenty-seven business plans had been developed, twelve projects had reached an advanced stage, and seven had received seed funding. Through UNIDO’s upgrading methodology, participating enterprises implemented over one hundred concrete improvement actions, ranging from better cost management and productivity gains to environmentally responsible practices such as solar energy use, water reuse, and the adoption of basic digital management tools. The focus on food systems and digital transformation directly supported job creation, income generation, and resilience in island economies.
More than half of the programme’s resources were channelled directly to local actors, strengthening municipal ownership and enhancing the sustainability of results. For the Joint SDG Fund, the experience in Cabo Verde illustrates the impact of directing resources to where people live and work. When local governments, entrepreneurs, and communities collaborate closely, development outcomes become more visible and meaningful. As Cabo Verde looks ahead, the experiences of Fogo and Brava demonstrate how locally anchored action can turn the SDGs into practical, lasting change with relevance far beyond the islands themselves.
