Assist Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to Access International Markets through enhanced Business-to-Business connectivity and Improved capacity

Client: USAID – Vietnam

Time: August 2017-December 2018

Overview: Technological advancement and internet help create millions of business transactions at minimal costs. Therefore, it is now so popular that a customer, just by a mouse click or screen touch, can find the matched product supplier and purchase the product which is thousand miles away. Such technology can be seen as a great opportunity for SMEs to upgrade their business and penetrate deeper into the supplier chain as well as to develop stronger linkage with the international market at the cheapest cost.  The project goal is support SMEs to penetrate global market. SMEs with export capable business are able to export their products to the international market or to integrate more comprehensively into the national export sector through B2B e-commerce platform.

There are five milestones relating to support SMEs. Milestone 1 is the seed grant while the four latter milestones made up for the main component. The seed grant-milestone 1 is to (1) identify the sectors of focus, (2) identify the potential partners and (3) detect SMEs’ difficulties and challenges that inhibit them from integrating into the global value chain. The main component is to (1) engage SMEs into B2B platform for business opportunity, (2) upgrade and maintain the B2B website to connect SMEs with potential importer/exporter and (3) support SMEs in reaching outward to the potential customer.

Main Tasks:

• Identify the e-commerce business-to-business platform for engaging SMEs;
• Identify the SMEs in target sectors: agro-processing, furniture and handicraft, textile;
• Detect SMEs’ difficulties and challenges that inhibit them from integrating into the global value chain;
• Partnership with B2B platform to engage SMEs for business opportunities;
• Facilitate SMEs to connect with potential importers/exporters;
• Develop the marketing strategy for SMEs;
• Advise SMEs for business reform to meet with products standard required by global client;
• Support SMEs in reaching outward to the potential customers.