International Finance Corporation (IFC) - World Bank Group: Mexico Supplier Development Program Evaluation (2025/2026)

Last registered on July 13, 2026

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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

International Finance Corporation (IFC) - World Bank Group: Mexico Supplier Development Program Evaluation (2025/2026)

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0016877

Initial registration date

July 10, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

July 13, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name

Leonard le Roux

Affiliation

International Finance Corporation (IFC) - World Bank Group

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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Chiara Criscuolo

PI Affiliation

OECD

Contact Investigator

PI Name

Golvine de Rochambeau

PI Affiliation

International Finance Corporation (IFC) World Bank Group

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Additional Trial Information

Status

On going

Start date

2025-06-01

End date

2026-11-01

Keywords

Firms & Productivity

Additional Keywords

SME, MNE, MNC, Multinational, linkages, supplier development programs

JEL code(s)

F23, L26, O25, O19

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

This study looks at the effect of a Supplier Development Program (SDP) that aims to foster new production linkages between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Multinational and large-domestic firms operating in Mexico. SMEs participating in the SDP are invited to group business training sessions, specialized consulting services, and access to match-making opportunities with a set of Multinational and large-domestic firms predominantly operating in the Mexican Automotive sector. We randomly allocate half of a baseline sample of 85 firms into a treatment and control group. The treatment group is invited to participate in the SDP, while the control group is not. The main outcomes include measures of business performance and competitiveness, business drive and ambition, as well as new production linkages between SMEs and multinationals and large-domestic firms, and between SMEs and other SMEs.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Criscuolo, Chiara, Golvine de Rochambeau and Leonard le Roux. 2026. "International Finance Corporation (IFC) - World Bank Group: Mexico Supplier Development Program Evaluation (2025/2026)." AEA RCT Registry. July 13. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16877-1.0

Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

A supplier development program targeting Mexican SME firms. The aim of the program is to generate new production linkages between SMEs and multinational and large domestic firms in the automotive sector in Mexico. The program consists of three components: a) general business training b) specialized business consulting services and c) match-making opportunities with multinational and large domestic companies.

Intervention Start Date

2025-08-01

Intervention End Date

2026-04-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

a) New supplier contracts between SMEs and Multinational and Large domestic firms (number of contracts, number of new contracts, initiation of processes and communication to develop new contracts)
b) Business certifications and quality standards (new international and national accredited certifications, initiation of processes to obtain new international and national certifications)
c) New horizontal contracting and collaboration with other SMEs (number of new contracts, initiation of processes and communication to develop new contracts)
d) Firm financial outcomes (Sales, investment)
e) Firm non-financial outcomes (Employment)
f) Business drive and confidence (confidence in developing new contractual relationships with large domestic and MNE firms, active steps to do so)
g) Innovation (in processes or as an output (i.e. patents)).

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Firms are invited to apply to participate in a Supplier Development Program, in coordination with the Mexican Automotive Industry Association. Applicant Firms are then assessed based on their on their capacity to feasibly develop the capabilities to supply Multinational and Large Domestic firms in the automotive sector. Firms that are assessed to not have sufficient capacity to be able to develop the capabilities to meet MNE and large domestic firm demands are excluded from the experimental sample. Of the remaining firms that meet the minimum requirements, half are allocated to a treatment arm that receives the supplier development training. The other half are not invited to participate in the SDP and are re-contacted after program completion for the first end-line results.

Experimental Design Details

Not available

Randomization Method

Randomization completed in office by a computer.

Randomization Unit

Firm.

Was the treatment clustered?