St. Lucia: Strengthening the institutional infrastructure for export promotion

Resumen

This project is strengthening the capabilities of TEPA (St Lucia's Trade Export Promotion Agency) and its network of TISIs to provide coherent capacity building programmes for potential and incipient exporters aligned with the newly designed “Tastes of Saint Lucia” brand. In addition, the project also seeks to build the capacity of public and private institutions to jointly develop, under the leadership of TEPA, a dynamic plan of action that will ensure the sustainable development of the export sectors. The plan provides a roadmap of activities to address Saint Lucia's main supply-side, business environment and market entry constraints while building on existing opportunities.

A Strategic Trade Development Roadmap has been finalized and validated by relevant stakeholders including list of constraints analysis, strategic objectives, five priority sectors (Information and Communication Technology; Creative Industries; Tourism; Food and Beverages; and Renewable Energy) and four trade support functional strategies (Trade Facilitation and logistics; Innovation; Skills development and educational services; and Access to Finance).

ITC’s unique and recognized expertise for reinforcing TEPA’s capabilities as a national trade and investment support institution translated into a solid and improved understanding of TEPA’s strengths and challenges and informed several strategic changes done by the organization. This support facilitated first-hand access and exposure to unrivalled knowledge and innovations regarding management of trade support institutions, but also introducing TEPA to a regional and global network of top performing trade and investment support institutions through the participation into several events and networking activities.

The re-design of the “Tastes of Saint Lucia” (ToSL) brand has created a lasting impact. ITC worked with TEPA to adapt and convert the agency’s “Taste of Saint Lucia” (TOSL) trademark into a sustainable and commercial brand that will be carried by approved Saint Lucian products and services in export markets.  These activities included: i) The creation of an umbrella branding, comprising the development of a strategy and guidelines for its implementation; ii) The formation of a National Brand Committee established to manage the Export Brand, and defined policies for the brand roll out; and ii) The organization of several promotional activities on the island, with key markets via online and at a trade events in the UK. 

These activities have resulted in: 10 companies have made enquiries for the use of the trademark; four products were included in a pilot exercise carrying the new “Taste of Saint Lucia” Brand are now being sold at a number of outlets on the island; and Significant increase in Website and Social Media traffic.