Project: NICE - TAK Networking Intermediaries & Competitive Enterprises in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Funded by: The people of the European Union under the Central Asia Invest IV Programme.
Budget: 1.5 million EUR.
Duration: 36 months March 2017 – February 2020.
Lead Agency: Sequa gGmbH Germany.
Project Partners: CESVI International NGO in Tajikistan, BBC Bishkek Business Club, Kyrgyzstan, NABWT National Association of Business Women of Tajikistan, NASMB National Association of Small and Medium Business, Tajikistan, UCT Union of Craftsmen of Tajikistan.
Project Associates:
- GIZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (Germany)
- UNDP "Aid for Trade Program"
- UNIDO
- Ministry of Economy and Trade of Tajikistan
- Two major handicraft organisations: Dairy and Crafts Council, Kyrgyzstan
Objective
NICE - TAK overall objective is to promote private sector development in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and to facilitate the GDP of the two countries to substantially increase from 2016 to 2019.
NICE-TAK will pursue this aim by means of assisting local Business Intermediary Organizations to develop their capacities of supporting the development of SMEs in three key areas: advocacy, services in demand and competitiveness on the domestic and international markets. The project has a special focus on the competitiveness of the Handicraft Industry in the two countries.
NICE-TAK targets any Business Intermediary Organization in the two Countries with a high potential for reaching out to SMEs and employs BIO role models for peer learning.
Key Activities
- Develop BIOs capacity of researching their members’ needs and of outlining consistent advocacy strategies aimed at improving the environment for SMEs.
- Set up and run a BIO Academy that offers training workshops, seminars and networking opportunities for BIO staff in 4 locations, 2 in each country.
- Based on a survey carried out among their members unmatched needs for support, BIOs improve existing and develop new services and tools that are in demand
- NICE - TAK tailors andor develops service packages and makes them available to many BIOs, with the aim of facilitating the exchange of best practices in SME service delivery among BIOs.
- NICE-TAK, through services provided by handicraft BIOs, helps handicraft SMEs to improve the competitiveness of their products on domestic and international markets.
- Establish, by means of surveys, handicraft BIO and SME needs, and identify, through a sectoral value chain analysis, constraints as well as incentive mechanisms enabling improving competitiveness in this industry.
- Organize annual handicraft fairs in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and support participation of SMEs and BIOs in international fairs, aimed at diversifying market channels.
- Prepare a handicraft catalogue and develop new collections and designs, aimed at improving products in this industry.
Target Indicators
- 3 Advocacy issues per country identified through Member Needs Assessments and focus groups sessions.
- 2 Public - private policy dialogue conferences on specific advocacy issues
- Advocacy cross-country working group established
- 6 position papers prepared
- A new publication or PR tool per country developed to measure business climate perception
- 2 training locations per country defined and prepared
- 16 training modules selected and elaborated
- 16 BIO seminars trainings carried out and 240 BIO representatives trained
- 16 fields of further action identified and described in ToR for further TA intervention
- 16 interventions realised and followed-up
- 2 country reports on SME service demands and on existing SME services, including gap analysis
- 2 successful SME services transferred between BIOs and introduced as pilots
- 6 new SME services introduced and piloted
- 20 new services offered and used by in total 300 SMEs
- Handicraft SME survey report, SME needs defined
- Handicraft BIO survey report, BIO needs defined
- 2 handicraft sector value - chain analysis reports; constraints and needs of the handicraft sector identified
- 25 trainings delivered, 375 handicraftsmen trained
- 2 incentive mechanisms identified (competition) and implemented annually
- 2 bi-annual product reviews and feedback sessions with external experts organized
- 2 annual handicraft fairs organized per country
- Improved existing online platforms and e - commerce sales channels
- 6 participations of handicraft BIOs and SMEs in international fairs
- 2 new collections and designs
Target Groups and Final Beneficiaries
Besides project Partners, NICE - TAK targets any BIO in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan with a high potential for reaching out to SMEs, as it employs BIO role models for peer learning.
Final beneficiaries are the SMEs of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the handicraft SMEs and the population of the two countries.
Contacts:
NICE - TAK
Tajikistan , 124, Mirzo Tursunzoda st, Dushanbe,
Tel: (+992) 93 325 0225 E-mail: tajikistan_officer@cesvioverseas.org
Kyrgyzstan, 90 Toktogul str, Bishkek,
Tel: (+996 312) 93 55 81 E - mail: office@bdk.kg; pr@bdk.kg.
This project is funded by the European Union:
Delegation of the European Union in Tajikistan
Adkhamov 74
734013 Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Tel: (+992 37) 221 74 07, 227 10 24
Fax: (+992 37) 221 43 21
Delegation - Tajikistan - Pic@eeas.europa.eu
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/tajikistan/index_ru.htm.
"The European Union is made up of 28 Member States who have decided to gradually link together their know - how, resources and
destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 50 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European Union committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders. To this end the EU is active in Tajikistan since 1992 and provides approximately EUR 35 million annually in development assistance".
The European Commission is the EU's executive body.
