Creation of livelihoods through enterprise development initiatives, which inspire the local economy, use local resources and promote local jobs. Development Alternatives aims to promote entrepreneurial opportunities through the use of climate-resilient technology and enterprise solutions by conducting skill development research, identifying skill gaps, providing marketable skills and enterprise training programmes and facilitating the setting up of green enterprise models.

DA also works on cluster development and promoting entrepreneurship at various levels of the value chain. By identifying business opportunities at the community level, it translates them into bankable enterprise packages with demonstrations and trainings.

DA works for the upliftment of the poor and the marginalised by:

• Providing a comprehensive set of enterprise and livelihood promotion services to the rural poor, women, youth and the marginalised communities under one umbrella
• Creating awareness and testing new concepts for the entrepreneurial and capacity development of community for the establishment of an enterprise
• Demonstrating and replicating the use of improved and appropriate technologies for enterprises
• Fostering economic opportunities for rural poor, women, youth and the marginalised communities as entrepreneurs
• Improving market opportunities for micro and small enterprises
• Designing, developing and implementing strategies to enhance the competitiveness and productivity of micro, small and cooperative enterprises
• Improving access to business development and training services for micro and small enterprises