ITC provides a wealth of information and resources on trade for businesses in developing countries. The tools below (some of them joint projects with other organisations, such as the WTO, UNCTAD, World Bank Group, are intended to explore and facilitate trade with other countries.
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We provide tailored support, aligned with national objectives, to grow trade opportunities for micro, small and medium businesses in developing countries.
<p>The project aims to strengthen the economic and social rights of vulnerable groups whose livelihoods have been affected by the Senegambia Bridge. The newly constructed bridge not only has the potential to transform trade in West Africa and contribute to integrating the region by connecting Mauritania with Senegal and Nigeria but has a much wider social and economic impact on the trans-Gambia road corridor. While there are clear benefits for the macro economy of reducing the transit time of overland traffic, the bridge also has an important socio-economic impact on the communities along the transport corridor. </p><p><br></p><p>The joint project is led by UNFPA and implemented in a collaboration with ITC and several national partners. The economic component led by ITC addresses the <em>Freedom from Want</em> by supporting income diversification and strengthen business support services in the affected communities. The activities focus on women and youth in the North Bank Region and the Lower River Region and cover skills training in hospitality and agro-processing, strengthening of productive capacities, and improving access to markets.</p>
<p>AIM for Results is an intervention approach that strengthens the performance, efficiency and effectiveness of TISIs and builds their capacity to provide more effective support to the internationalisation needs of their clients, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).</p><p>AIM stands for Assess, Improve and Measure. It is a holistic and targeted integrated three-step-approach focusing on measurable results in order to improve the managerial, operational and service delivery performance of TSIs. The three pillars of AIM are offered either as a single module or as a complete performance improvement programme, depending on the needs of the beneficiary institutions.</p><p> In 2017, the project aims to improve the operational and managerial performance of 40 TISIs applying ITC’s AIM For Results methodology.</p>
<p><a name="_Hlk155357558"><span style="color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">Business support organizations (BSOs) are critical actors in an ecosystem of business support, categorized by the formal and informal connections among service providers that recognises and takes advantage of shared objectives and complementary strengths.</span></a></p><p><span style="color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">ITC has developed a unique centre of excellence in the establishment, improvement and connectedness of business support organizations. This work with BSOs is embedded as a core service area for ITCs strategy and recognises the role that BSOs play in delivering results to all stakeholders through their ability to create scale, systemic change and sustained results</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">In this strategic cycle (22-25), ITC will continue to serve a broad range of BSOs including those active in ITC’s priority impact areas of youth entrepreneurship, green trade, digitalisation and gender, with managerial and operational solutions, but also invest more in ecosystem level interventions, and make use of digital channels for efficiency, scale and value.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(97, 189, 109);">This docu<span>ment sets out a 4-year perspective (2022-20225) and 4 strategic objectives for supportive business ecosystems with, specific outputs and activities describing the year-on-year contribution of W1 funding to the strategic core service area 2.</span></span></p>
Our SheTrades Initiative has changed the economic lives of three million women in 30 countries by connecting them to markets. We have opened 12 regional hubs across Africa, Asia, South America, the Caribbean and Europe, and we continue to grow.
The Initiative centres on empowering women engaging in international trade and creating a women-inclusive fairer business ecosystem. We help them overcome barriers and, with them, identify areas that urgently need to be addressed.
Consultations with global thought leaders reveal persisting barriers between key actors and the building blocks of women’s enterprise development: gender-disaggregated research, inclusive policy, skills development, access to markets and finance.
SheTrades works across countries, regions and stakeholders to champion quality data on women’s participation in trade. We work with policymakers to level the playing field for women, leverage partnerships with the public and private sectors, and connect women to markets and learning opportunities through our one-stop online platform, SheTrades.com.
The Initiative is a proud contributor to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
ITC SheTrades beneficiary works with over 50,000 smallholder farmers to turn avocado rejects into high-quality oil that is exported to Europe, US, and Asia.
<p><strong>ITC FOR EVERY WOMAN, EVERYWHERE. </strong></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">ITC recognizes that Gender Equality is a right in and of itself and a requisite for sustainable development. All women everywhere have the right to a decent income, employment, working conditions and a choice and voice in shaping their economic context. Over the next four years, ITC will support a broad universe of women (entrepreneurs, producers, workers, young women, small-scale cross border traders), by leveraging trade and public procurement, mobilising SheTrades Hubs and high-level champions, and tapping into partnerships. The implementation strategy will be scaled up, inclusive, results-oriented and future-focused.<br></span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB">ITC’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan identifies gender as one of the five impact areas to deliver an inclusive, prosperous and sustainable future. </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">Our Vision by 2025 is as follows:</span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"><span>1.<span> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">ITC is recognised as an <strong>agenda-setter</strong> on empowering women to trade, through the SheTrades Initiative </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"><span>2.<span> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Through ITC support, <strong>BSOs, market partners and financial institutions</strong> develop world-class women in trade programmes </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"><span>3.<span> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Women <strong>trade more</strong> and on <strong>better terms</strong>, hold more <strong>decent jobs</strong>, and a stronger <strong>voice</strong> in trade </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"><span>4.<span> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">ITC is a <strong>trusted and effective partner</strong> to deliver on the A4T/gender agenda </span></p><p><span lang="EN-GB"><span>5.<span> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB">ITC has an <strong>effective coordinated response</strong> to addressing the trade and gender challenge</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 20px;">The project is part of larger UNDP led initiative that seeks to reduce economic and social vulnerability of the poor and marginalized populations affected by COVID-19 through green and eco-friendly community livelihood interventions. The project will implement a community based social protection initiatives focusing on populations living around Protected Areas in North Bank Region, Central River region and Lower River region. The support will focus in particular on generating and diversifying income opportunities related to beekeeping, poultry and crafts. </p>
<p>The project aims to sustainably increase the income of women horticulture producers and processors in The Gambia, who were disproportionately affected by the socio-economic crisis triggered by COVID-19. Focusing on the horticultural sector, the project establishes a market-led digital agricultural value chain platform, links horticultural cooperatives, buyers, and other value chain actors to the platform, provides direct support to women farmers, and increases coordination and efficiency in production, storage, and distribution in the sector. </p><p><br></p><p>The digital value chain platform allows farmers, wholesalers, processors, and other value chain actors to interact and build partnerships for transactions. In the initial phase of the project, the system focuses on domestic market linkages to address the most pressing needs and gaps created by the pandemic and economic crisis. It targets food importers who are interested in sourcing local produce, government institutions such as hospitals and schools, and tourism establishments. As the country recovers from the current crisis, the system will boost international trade by working with existing exporters and export-ready companies. These stakeholders use the platform to improve their sourcing through supply chain efficiency, transparency, and compliance.</p><p><br></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="">The project promotes the use of earth as a sustainable building material alternative to beach sand in The Gambia. This directly contributes to the reduction of sand mining in the coastal zones and therefore coastal</span><span lang="IT" style=""> erosion </span><span lang="EN-US" style="">which has threatened coastal lives</span>. </p><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="">The Build 4 Good Project establishes a C</span>entre<span lang="EN-US" style=""> of Excellence in partnership with the Gambia Earth Builders Association, which houses a secretariat, hosts training sessions, and facilitates activities to promote of the use of compressed stabilised earth blocks as an alternative building material. The intervention aims to showcase the technology and change perceptions around compressed stabilised earth blocks as the building material of choice.</span> At the same time, the project will improve the knowledge and skills of Gambian women and youth in earth building. Vocational training programmes in block making and masonry are tailored to create sustainable jobs and income. </p><p><br></p>
<p>The project funded by German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) focuses on enhanced financial and business development capacities of Gambian MSMEs, improved and formalized apprenticeships for the Gambian youth, and cash-for-work opportunities. Through the provision of small grants and complementary coaching services, the project provides business development support to entrepreneurs. It further fosters technical and vocational training through the implementation of formalized apprenticeship programmes in high growth sectors such as construction, agro-processing, the creative industries, and garment making. Simultaneously, the project supports master craftsperson to meet improved training standards. To support the recovery from the pandemic, the project additionally implements short-term skills programmes in construction and refurbishment projects which generate income for the trainees.</p>
