Caribbean Export and Business Support Organizations

Background

There are many organisations that can be described as a Business Support Organisation (BSO). In fact, any organisation that provides input with the aim to enhance the sustained financial viability of a business can be classified as such. BSOs provide a wide range of services to clients spanning from advisory and consulting, to training and technical assistance. The most common types of BSOs within the Caribbean region include Chambers of Commerce, Coalition of Service Industries, Copyright Associations, Export PromotionAgencies, Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs), Manufacturers’ Associations and Small Business Associations. However, there are two main classifications of BSOs: private sector and public sector. In the public sector, the government is primarily responsible for the overall function of the support organisations. These include trade promotion organisations (TPOs), which provide export development and promotion function, and investment attraction, as well as establishing favourable policy frameworks, and providing an enabling environment for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to flourish. In contrast, the business support services delivered to the private sector are centred on advocacy and private sector development, among others. The Caribbean Export Development Agency’s (Caribbean Export) work in regional private sector development takes place via two pathways: directly to SMEs, and through BSOs. From its inception, the Agency has had a rich history of supporting, collaborating with, and building the capacity of BSOs in a range of areas from investment promotion to export development. The Agency has a mandate under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP) to strengthen the capacity of BSOs to provide a wider range and quality of services. Under this programme, Caribbean Export has served 158 regional BSOs through initiatives at an estimated value of US$1.2 million; this is a 25% increase in funding when compared to the support received under the 9th EDF, which was US$960,000.

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