Publications

Thanks to a more services-based economy and the prestige associated with women’s entrepreneurship, new opportunities allow Nigerian women to play a more active role in business.

This first ITC e-commerce survey provides valuable insights that will allow countries to shape policies and practices that address the real business needs on the ground. To ensure that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) can benefit from e-commerce, they need better access to...

Online marketplaces are the dominant form of e-commerce for consumer goods in developed countries. They are also prominent across Africa, offering great potential to serve a new generation of consumers and open opportunities for small entrepreneurs. But little is known about these marketplaces in...

A blueprint for small and medium-sized enterprises Advanced economies have developed highly competitive and innovative e-commerce services, making it simple for small enterprises to set up online stores, transport their goods and receive payments. Although entrepreneurs in developing countries...

This report applies a gender lens framework to government procurement through the public provision, consumption and employment channels. It identifies opportunities to develop a gender lens for government procurement in the World Trade Organization to inform and advance the debate among negotiators,...

African tech hubs play an important role in building fledgling entrepreneurial ecosystems and helping start-ups, but they struggle to earn revenue and become financially sustainable. This second edition has expanded its coverage, adding insights from East African hubs. The report, based on...

Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa can tackle e-commerce barriers such as formalization, e-payments and delivery by joining forces through collaborative business models. This paper examines the pros and cons of three models – associations, consortiums and cooperatives – and...

Insufficient knowledge about options and application processes, difficulty understanding financial terms and lack of collateral hinder women seeking finance. In this report, financiers applying gender lens investing build on their experience addressing women’s challenges and offer insights on best...

This report helps small businesses comply with trade rules when selling goods through e-commerce to the European Union and the United States.

Government procurement offers a unique route to empower women and combat poverty, as this new ITC guide explains. Public procurement accounts for over 30% of GDP in developing countries and some 10-15% of GDP in developed countries. Women-owned businesses have been largely excluded from this...

This major business survey shows that almost 80% of small firms that adopted advanced digital tools reported better production efficiency.