Updates

Prize winning export market plans

21 December 2021
ITC News

Support to Sri Lankan SMEs creates lasting impact.

Thirteen companies were awarded ‘Best Export Marketing Plans’ at the final market-pitching event of an export coaching programme earlier this month.

A group of twenty-five Sri Lankan companies participated in an Export Coaching programme organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB).

During these sessions, SMEs received guidance on developing their own Export Marketing Plans and benefited from awareness raising on export audit, exploring opportunities in export markets, and strategic decision making on export market-entry options.

Under its new Exporter Development Programme, the EDB is now assisting Sri Lankan enterprises develop export marketing plans as well as capacities and competencies to promote their products internationally and tap into global trade opportunities.

This programme was developed from the Export Marketing Planning (EMP) coaching delivered by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and EDB officers had been trained by ITC.

In 2019-2020, ITC transferred skills to national experts to deliver Export Marketing Planning (EMP) coaching to 85 SMEs in the IT-Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) sector through its recently  closed EU-Sri Lanka Trade-Related Assistance project in partnership with the Department of Commerce (DoC) of the Ministry of Trade.

As part of ITC’s project, officials from various partner organizations, including EDB, were trained through a “train-the-trainer” methodology to coach client SMEs looking to internationalize their businesses. As a result, SMEs generated new exports to 8 new markets in Europe and Asia.

Running from November 2016 to February 2021, the 4-year EU-Sri Lanka Trade Related Assistance project worth 8 million euros, aimed to contribute to inclusive trade-led growth and regional integration. Funded by the European Union, the support helped hundreds of SMEs in Sri Lanka increase their trade competitiveness and built sustainable skills locally for replication beyond the project.