With a little help from our friends: The effect of USAID assistance on SME growth in a transition economy

► Uses survey data on USAID programs aiding SMEs. ► Controls for selection bias in program participation and matches treated and untreated firms. ► Assistance programs raised employment growth by 16-20 percentage points in the first year, by 26-30 points by the third year. ► Firms that lacked managerial skills benefited the most.