Seychelles

<p>The United Kingdom Trade Partnerships (UKTP) Programme aims to increase trade from African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) to the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) by maximizing the benefits of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). the UKTP Programme works in partnership with government agencies, private sector organisations, public sector institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises and other local stakeholders. It is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth &amp; Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC).</p><p>The UKTP Programme offers a unique platform to scale-up an agile response to the economic crisis that accompanies the Coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis by leveraging market intelligence, working with targeted sectors and institutions and facilitating export linkages. It has two broad components: (1) Trade and Market Intelligence; and (2) Sector Support.&nbsp;</p><p>This project provides support to in countries that have signed the UK-CARIFORUM and the Eastern and Southern Africa EPAs that are ineligible for Overseas Development Assistance in the Caribbean region (Bahamas, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago) and the Indian Ocean Region (Seychelles). The project will implement activities in the areas of EPA awareness, improved business environment, and SME strengthening and market linkages. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The overall objective of the proposed project is to attract investment and promote trade and sustainable industrial and business development at continental level, concretely supporting the AfCFTA Secretariat and the African Union and delivering on the Africa-EU partnership for sustainable growth and jobs.&nbsp;</p><p>The project contributes to this objective by</p><ul><li>identifying trade and investment opportunities along regional value chains with potential at continental scale in Africa, including potential for investment by EU economic operators;</li><li>Strengthening the EU-Africa dialogue on trade and economic integration, informing high-level events such as the upcoming AU-EU Summit and European- African Business Forum (EABF)</li><li>identifying pilot/selected continental value chains that could be targeted for support in the EU 2021-27 aid programming exercise.</li></ul><p>It supports the implementation of the AfCFTA and ITC&apos;s One Trade Africa Initiative.</p>

<p><span data-contrast="none">ITC&rsquo;s trade and market intelligence interventions in the 24 UK Trade Partnerships Programme countries will consist of several interrelated components</span><span data-contrast="none">&nbsp;</span><span data-contrast="none">to foster transparency and &nbsp;enhanced access</span><span data-contrast="none">&nbsp;to information on trade opportunities and market access requirements <span data-contrast="none">for small and medium</span><span data-contrast="none">-</span><span data-contrast="none">sized e</span><span data-contrast="none">nterprises</span></span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">. This will be done</span><span data-contrast="none">&nbsp;through</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">&nbsp;data</span><span data-contrast="none">?sharing, capacity building, and</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">&nbsp;the</span><span data-contrast="none">?setting up of&nbsp;</span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US">trade&nbsp;</span><span data-contrast="none">obstacle?alert mechanisms.</span></p>