Project profile — Strengthening Haitian Artisans' Marketing and Export Capacity

• Haiti (100.00%)

• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) development:
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) development (32130) (50.00%)
Cottage industries and handicrafts (32140) (50.00%)

• Gender equality (not targeted)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (significant objective)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This project contributes to rebuilding the private sector in Haiti through export activity. The main goal is to develop and promote artisans' craftwork in order to increase Haitian exports in the home décor and gift sectors. In addition, the project aims to raise general export capacity through exporter training for entrepreneurs and managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This project has three components. The first two components focus on developing "go to market" programs for four communities of artisans (informal sector micro-entrepreneurs) and a group of export-ready SMEs. These two components also support the capacity of these producers to develop and sustain access to international markets. The third component helps business support institutions establish an exporter training program. This training component is intended for all SME exporting sectors. This project is part of the Canadian Market Access and Trade Capacity Building project. It is implemented by TFO Canada, in cooperation with BRANDAID Project and its Haitian partners.

N/A

Results achieved as of the end of the project (December 2013) include: (i) Among the four artisan communities and the five small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) project beneficiaries, over 1400 individuals have benefited from the international buyer contacts established, including significant business opportunities with leading department store retailers in the United Kingdom (Selfridges) and in Canada (Hudson’s Bay Company). Altogether these new contacts have generated over $70,000 in new export sales for project beneficiaries; (ii) The marketing and branding efforts of the project have also generated significant media content to raise the global profile and awareness of these producers and their products, including two feature articles published by major newspapers in the United Kingdom and Canada; (iii) Another notable project outcome is the development of new products and international marketing tools (e.g. new logos, videos, export price lists, web presence, e-catalogues, etc.); (iv) Within the four communities, individual artisans are, in most cases, reporting income increases of over 26% since the project began; (v) Two of the five SMEs supported by the project are now independently taking actions and making investments to sustain and build upon the product, marketing and sales development activities initially supported by the project. In one case, the SME exhibited its products at a major Canadian trade show in August 2013, entirely on its own; (vi) Two chambers of commerce in Haiti have demonstrated an improved capacity to provide trade-training services, and 13 of the SMEs that participated in those trainings have already used their training to help their enterprises develop and manage export markets.

• Proactive disclosure
• Related activities: Canadian Market Access and Trade Capacity Building