The Luxembourg-based NGO Ada (Support for Autonomous Development) has reached a symbolic milestone, as it was announced last year. For the first time, it claims to have exceeded one million beneficiaries thanks to the solutions developed with its partners. Its 2025 annual report, published on Monday 29 June, stated that 1,227,498 people received support between 2022 and 2025, a figure taken from an initial consolidated impact report, which is the main new feature of this edition. At the same time, 430,511 new beneficiaries were recorded in 2025 alone, compared with 293,232 in 2024 – an increase of nearly 47%.
This development marks a shift in the way Ada reports on its activities. The 2024 report had already highlighted that inclusive finance needed to measure and demonstrate its impact more effectively in order to attract more investors. A year later, the organisation is turning its intentions into action by publishing a consolidated report that no longer merely counts beneficiaries, but seeks to measure the economic effects of its interventions over a four-year period.
According to Ada, its programmes have helped to improve agricultural yields, smallholders’ incomes, turnover and employment in the businesses it supports, whilst strengthening their ability to cope with economic and climate-related shocks. The organisation also highlighted the benefits of developing renewable energy solutions in rural areas.
Rising expenditure
Business activity also continued to grow. In 2025, 194,373 people gained access to tailored financial services, 204,989 received technical or business support, 64,934 from solutions facilitating access to markets, and 2,569 households from improved access to energy or education. More than half of the beneficiaries are women.
Ada has also expanded its resources. Its expenditure rose from €14.1m in 2024 to €15.3m in 2025, whilst its workforce grew from 60 to 66 staff members. The number of long-term consultants deployed in the countries where it operates has risen from 13 to 18.
However, not all indicators are pointing upwards. The investment vehicles recommended by Ada comprised 51 funded organisations at the end of 2025, compared with 54 a year earlier. Their total portfolio stands at €41.5m, compared with around €45m at the end of 2024, mainly due to a decline in the assets under management of the Luxembourg Microfinance and Development Fund (LMDF).
The results speak for themselves: behind the figures lie people’s lives as they unfold.
Solar microgrids
Among the achievements highlighted is the completion of the first phase of the Smallholder SustaiNability Upscaling Programme (SSNUP). According to Ada, more than €10m in technical assistance has helped to mobilise €188m in investment for the benefit of around one million smallholder farmers in 35 countries. The NGO also highlights the growing impact of the Ever programme, which focuses on the development of solar mini-grids and access to productive energy in rural areas.
“In 2025, Ada reached a decisive milestone, becoming an organisation that does not merely support change but actively helps to shape it,” said its executive director, Laura Foschi. “The results speak for themselves: behind the figures lie people’s lives that are changing.”
