Trade promotion East: Balkan States and Central Asia

    Overview

    Summary

    The envisaged long-term impact of the project is to contribute to increase inclusive export growth in the targeted value chains contributing to improved livelihoods and decent employments (more and better jobs).

    The project will focus on competitiveness and sustainable export growth of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and improving the capacities of business support organizations (BSOs) to provide quality services to SMEs. Furthermore, the programme will foster regional exchange and knowledge sharing facilitated among SMEs and BSOs from partner countries.

    Agribusiness was identified as a viable priority sector for assistance across all four countries as it provides significant potential for the social inclusion of vulnerable groups and plays a particular role in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    To demonstrate tangible changes leading to sustainable and inclusive growth, the project will focus on  selected product groups in each country. 

    The project is structured around three outcomes formulated as follows:

    Outcome 1: Improved competitiveness and sustainability of SMEs in the agribusiness sector

    Outcome 2: Improved BSOs performance in the agribusiness sector

    Outcome 3: Regional / sectoral exchange and knowledge sharing and collaboration between sector actors

     The project will start with a 6-month inception phase to ensure that technical assistance responds to the beneficiary countries’ needs and priorities, project offices are set up and the final product groups for project focus in each country are selected.

    The project will assist SMEs’ in producing goods according to market requirements, linking them to targeted markets to increase sales, supporting their digital transformation and adherence to sustainability principles/standards. To this end, beneficiaries including government and relevant sectoral institutions will be supported in taking a strategic approach toward the sector’s development and BSOs to deliver quality service to SMEs for the selected priority areas.

    Partners

    Sustainable Development Goals

    This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    ITC contact

    Armen
    Zargaryan
    Email
    zargaryan [at] intracen.org