Small enterprises face many constraints, particularly with regard to the inability of accessing capital. The enterprise support funding programme is to mitigate the constraints, among which is the establishment of the Black Business Supplier Development Programme (BBSDP) in South Africa. However, the funding programme has effectively attracted no scrutiny since it started operation in 2002. This study seeks to address this omission by assessing the performance and effectiveness of the programme. The study covered a period of six years between 2010/2011 and 2016/2017. The study utilised secondary data and semi-structured methods as a fundamental basis of programme performance, assessment and measurement. In addition, five effectiveness perspective criteria of assessment were applied using descriptive analysis techniques. Empirical evidence shows that public investment subsidy programmes will only record success if structural, strategi