| SE strategy / action plan 1.2.1 S1100S2100S367S40S50 Criteria and evidence- S1 · Status: 100 (adopted and in force on 31 Dec 2025)
The ILO and MINPMEESA describe a 'National Program for the Development of the Social Economy (PNDES)' under implementation: their joint study (launched 2019, validated 27 Apr 2021, published Dec 2021) was made 'to propose measures and mechanisms for implementing the PNDES', as 'the first step' of an ILO project 'to support MINPMEESA in the implementation of the PNDES'; the March 2026 circular on UES status still refers to the 'programme national du secteur'. A programme of the ministry (MINPMEESA); no adoption act, text or lapse was found: 'adopted and in force on 31 Dec 2025'. · source 1 - S2 · Dedication: 100 (dedicated national SE strategy or action plan)
The PNDES is a national programme dedicated to the social economy (ILO, May and Dec 2021); the SND30 (MINEPAT, 2020) has no social-economy chapter (only cooperative measures in agriculture), so the dedicated programme is the instrument scored: 'dedicated national SE strategy or action plan (adopted)'. Ministry programme; adoption act not found. · source 1 - S3 · Operational content: 67 (measures with named responsible bodies)
No PNDES text was found. The measures documented under it are carried by MINPMEESA: structuring of SE-unit networks under the 2020 Prime Minister's decree, 'progressivement mises sur pied avec l'appui des partenaires du Minpmeesa' (Cameroon Tribune, 14 Feb 2024), the General Register (order of 23 May 2022) and the annual Journées nationales; no quantified targets or budget in a plan document: 'measures with named responsible bodies'. Low: inferred from the measures, not from the programme text. · source 1 · low confidence - S4 · Monitoring: 0 (none)
No monitoring provision, body or report for the PNDES was found. 7, but that article tasks the Conseil National with 'le suivi et l'évaluation des Unités de l'Économie Sociale' (the units, not the programme), and the council had not been created (its creation was still being recommended at the 6th Journées nationales, Oct 2023): 'none'. Low: programme text not found. · source 1 · low confidence - S5 · Participation of SE organisations: 0 (no evidence)
No drafting group or monitoring body of the PNDES naming SE organisations was found; the ILO-MINPMEESA validation workshop (Apr 2021) involved ministries (MINEPAT, MINADER, MINEPIA) and concerned the needs study, not the programme: 'no evidence'. · source 1 · low confidence
| 53.3 |
| Institutional structure & dialogue 1.2.2 I1100I2100I333I40 Criteria and evidence- I1 · Lead responsibility: 100 (a dedicated unit, directorate or agency for SE)
The ILO names MINPMEESA's 'Social Economy Directorate (DES)' as co-organiser of the April 2021 validation workshop, within the ministry for SMEs, Social Economy and Handicrafts (since 2004): 'a dedicated unit, directorate or agency for SE'. No 2024-2025 record of the directorate was opened. · source 1 - I2 · Breadth of mandate: 100 (the social economy / SE broadly)
The framework law covers the social economy broadly (cooperatives, common-initiative groups, mutuals, associations, foundations and other SE units) under the ministry: 'the social economy / SE broadly'. · source 1 - I3 · Consultative body with SE organisations: 33 (foreseen in an adopted law or strategy, not set up)
Law 2019/004 Art. 7 creates a Conseil National de l'Économie Sociale, 'créé par le Président de la République', its organisation to be 'fixés par décret du Président de la République', and Art. 8 commits the State to 'plateformes nationales de coordination, de défense et de dialogue'; at the 6th Journées nationales (Oct 2023) participants still called for the council's creation, and no decree was found for 2024-2025: 'foreseen in an adopted law or strategy, not set up'. · source 1 - I4 · Inter-ministerial coordination: 0 (none)
Law 2019/004 Art. 8 foresees national platforms 'de coordination, de défense et de dialogue' of the social economy, not coordination between ministries, and the Conseil National (Art. 7) was not created; no inter-ministerial SE mechanism was found in the law or in 2023-2025 reporting: 'none'. · source 1
| 58.3 |
| Social clauses in public procurement 2.3.2 P133P233P30P40 Criteria and evidence- P1 · Legal basis: 33 (social considerations allowed in general (criteria, conditions))
The Procurement Code (Decree 2018/366, Art. 70(1)) lets contracts be reserved for artisans, national SMEs, community-based organisations (OCB) and civil-society organisations (OSC); the implementing arrêté of 21 Oct 2019 (minister of public procurement) sets thresholds of FCFA 15 m for artisans and very small enterprises, 30 m for OCB and OSC (defined as local community groups doing labour-intensive HIMO works, and trade unions, human-rights and cultural associations) and 50 m for SMEs, with no mention of cooperatives, GICs or social-economy units; social considerations and HIMO approaches are allowed (Art. 57); no Article 77-type reservation: 'social considerations allowed in general (criteria, conditions)'. Judgement: 67 if the OCB/OSC reservation is read as a preference that includes SE, since associations are SE units under Law 2019/004 Art. 2. · source 1 - P2 · National policy push: 33 (general guidance mentioning social considerations)
The Public Procurement Code (Decree 2018/366) asks execution conditions to integrate social considerations and labour-intensive (HIMO) approaches (Art. 57, first-pass reading), and Law 2019/004 has no procurement provision; no national SRPP guidance, plan or quota was found: 'general guidance mentioning social considerations'. Low: the MINFI copy of the code could not be reopened. · source 1 · low confidence - P3 · Evidence of use: 0 (none)
No figures or reported cases of contracts reserved for community-based or civil-society organisations, or of social clauses, were found in searches of procurement and SE reporting: 'none'. · source 1 · low confidence - P4 · Capacity support: 0 (none)
No government training or helpdesk on social clauses or reserved contracts, for contracting authorities or SE units, was found: 'none'. · source 1 · low confidence
| 16.7 |
| Official SE definition 3.1 D1100D267 Criteria and evidence- D1 · Where defined: 100 (in law)
Law No. 2019/004 of 25 Apr 2019, Art. 2, defines the social economy: 'in law'. · source 1 - D2 · Content (social aim; participatory governance; limits on profit distribution): 67 (two)
Art. 2 and Art. 3(1) require 'la primauté de l'Homme et de la finalité sociale sur le capital' and collective or social usefulness (social aim) and transparent, democratic and participatory governance; surpluses need only a 'juste répartition', with no limit on distribution or asset lock: 'two'. · source 1
| 83.3 |
Legal recognition of SEs 3.2.1 · level 2 of 3Loi n° 2019/004 du 25 avril 2019 régissant l'économie sociale au Cameroun (framework law) · sources 1 2 3 4L1100L2100L350L40L50 Criteria and evidence- L1 · Adoption stage: 100 (in force)
- L2 · Scope: 100 (general: SE broadly, including a status open to several legal forms or any purpose)
- L3 · Implementing rules: 50 (some adopted)
The law requires: a ministerial act recognising social-economy unit (UES) status (Art. 3(2)); registration rules by regulation (Art. 5); a presidential decree on the National Council (Art. 7(2)); rules for incubators (Art. 9(2)) and networks (Art. 14(2)). Adopted: Prime Minister's decree of 2020 on the structuring and functioning of UES networks (Decree 2020/0001 per earlier desk coding); Prime Minister's order of 23 May 2022 on registration and keeping of the General Register of UES. Not adopted by end-2025: the UES admission (agrément) procedure, fixed only by circular 26/00049/MINPMEESA/SG/DAJ of 16 March 2026; no decree on the National Council found. - L4 · Status or register: 0 (foreseen with no entity recognised, or law not in force)
Registre général des unités de l'économie sociale at MINPMEESA (Art. 6; order of 23 May 2022). No published count of registered or approved UES; the admission procedure was set only in March 2026, so no recognition is evidenced by 31 Dec 2025. - L5 · Bodies foreseen by the law: 0 (foreseen, not set up, or law not in force)
Conseil national de l'économie sociale (Art. 7): no creation decree found; in October 2023 the 6th National Social Economy Days still recommended creating a national council. The state-organised SE networks (RELES/REDES/RERES) were being set up (294 local networks, minister, June 2024) but are networks of units, not the council.
| 50.0 |
| SE support ecosystem 4.3.6 E1100E2100E367E4100E5100 Criteria and evidence- E1 · National programme: 100 (national programme dedicated to SE, run by government or a public agency)
MINPMEESA runs a national support system for SE units: territorial networks (RELES, REDES, RERES) under Decree 2020/0001, a managerial, entrepreneurial and financial capacity-building caravan (Oct 2022) and micro-project financing: 'national programme dedicated to SE, run by government'. · source 1 - E2 · Territorial coverage: 100 (all regions (national network of support centres))
The caravan was to tour 'les 10 régions'; 294 local networks operate in the 360 communes and 49 of 58 departmental networks were active by June 2024: 'all regions (national network ...)'. · source 1 - E3 · Public funding of support: 67 (mixed national and EU/donor)
The SE-unit networks are 'progressivement mises sur pied avec l'appui des partenaires du Minpmeesa' (Cameroon Tribune, Feb 2024) and the ILO supports the programme, while the ministry funds micro-projects of SE units (about FCFA 700 m a year per the June 2024 interview caption, which could not be reopened): 'mixed national and EU/donor'. · source 1 · low confidence - E4 · Continuity: 100 (five years or more)
SE support under a dedicated ministry since 2004; the network system rests on the 2020 Prime Minister's decree and was still being extended in 2024-2025 (7th Journées nationales, 5 Aug 2025: 'avoir à terme dans chaque commune, un réseau local de l'économie sociale'): 'five years or more'. · source 1 - E5 · Range of services: 100 (three or more)
Training in management, entrepreneurship and finance; access to financing and equipment; value-chain and contract-farming support (market access); registration in the General Register of SE units (PM order of 23 May 2022): 'three or more'. · source 1
| 93.3 |
| EU funds mobilised for SE 5.1.1 F10F20F30F40 Criteria and evidence- F1 · Programming: 0 (SE not mentioned)
The EU-Cameroon multiannual indicative programme 2021-2027 (EEAS factsheet) has three priorities (governance; inclusive growth, sustainable jobs and private sector; Green Pact) with MPME formalisation and vocational training, and no mention of the social economy, social enterprise or cooperatives; the EURIZ mention is in a Team Europe private-sector inventory, not in EU programming: 'SE not mentioned'. Factsheet read; full MIP text not opened. · source 1 - F2 · Calls and instruments: 0 (none)
No EU call naming the social economy or social entrepreneurship in Cameroon was found for 2021-2025: the 2023 EU Delegation inventory lists none, and EU civil-society sub-granting (e.g. NDICI/CSO/2021/43480 via CED, Dec 2024) concerns natural-resource governance with no SE terms: 'none'. · source 1 - F3 · Channel: 0 (none)
No EU funding channel for SE identified: 'none'. · source 1 - F4 · Evidence of take-up: 0 (none)
No EU-funded SE take-up reported: 'none'. · source 1
| 0.0 |
| Dedicated national funding 5.2.2 N1100N233N367N433 Criteria and evidence- N1 · Dedicated line: 100 (dedicated line for SE broadly)
Kept on the first-pass evidence: the minister (Cameroon Tribune interview, June 2024) cited 'environ 700 millions de F chaque année dans le cadre des micros projets portés par les unités de l'économie sociale', a ministry line for SE units of all types; Law 2019/004 Art. 15 allows 'subventions directes et indirectes des administrations publiques': 'dedicated line for SE broadly'. Low: the interview page could not be reopened and no other source for the line was found in three searches. · source 1 · low confidence - N2 · Instrument types: 33 (one type)
Micro-project financing read as subsidies (Law 2019/004 Art. 15 'subventions'); no loan, guarantee or equity strand found: 'one type'. Low: line description not reopened. · source 1 · low confidence - N3 · Continuity: 67 (two to four years)
Described as allocated 'chaque année' (June 2024), years not established: 'two to four years'. Low: source not reopened. · source 1 · low confidence - N4 · Execution: 33 (budgeted or announced only)
Only the annual envelope is reported; no awards or beneficiaries for 2024-2025 found (Cameroon Tribune 2024-2025 SE articles are paywalled after the opening): 'budgeted or announced only'. · source 1 · low confidence
| 58.3 |
