The Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO) has been promoting imports into Switzerland and the EU from developing and transition countries on behalf of the State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO) since 1999. SIPPO helps SMEs in selected developing and transition countries to gain access to the Swiss and European markets by providing information, training courses and matchmaking services.

The program will assist SMEs to expand their exports to the CH/EU market through a range of services: training, matchmaking, fair support to SMEs and capacity building of national/local Business Support Organizations (BSOs). Interventions will be derived from three possible approaches: (1) the SIPPO traditional approach consisting in accompanying selected companies to international trade fairs ("SIPPO Pavilion")- (2) the "Country Pavilion" approach according to which local business support organisations are supported in their promotion activities with local firms- and (3) the "Systemic Market Development" approach according to which support from SIPPO is identified via gap analyses and can extend to all sorts of export promotion services. All approaches aim to familiarise producers of developing and transition countries with European norms, standards, quality requirements, import and custom regulations. Finally, SIPPO also assists importers from Switzerland and the European Union in finding suitable partners and high-quality products from selected developing and transition countries.

SMEs in partner countries have established mutually beneficial stable business relationships to importers in the EU and Switzerland.

SMEs in partner countries have improved their export competences with regard to the Swiss and EU market.

Local BSOs are capable of providing export related services to SMEs in partner countries.

Erwartete Resultate:  

SMD: (a) Gap analyses of sector issues conducted- (b) Solutions agreed on by concerned stakeholders in sector strategies- (c) Interventions planned, designed and implemented at various levels of the Supply chain (training, information and consultancy services with regard to marketing, product development / design / quality and export markets)- (d) Sector strategies reviewed for up-scaling and exit phase.

Country Pavilion: (a) BSOs identified, along with their needs for capacity building (CB)- (b) CB activities agreed on by concerned BSOs- (c) CB activities carried out- (d) BSOs assisted in their preparation of SMEs for international fairs ('country pavilion services').

SIPPO Pavilion: Opportunities for establishing business contacts (fairs, platforms, buying/selling missions, direct business contacts etc.) have been facilitated for SIPPO participants and Swiss and EU importers.

Resultate von früheren Phasen:  

Up to mid-2016, the following results have been achieved by the SIPPO 2012-16 Programme: Overall, 12’300 additional jobs have been created- CHF 225 million additional export turnover has been created, and 15’000 binding offers have been generated.

Phase 8 23.02.2011 - 31.03.2017   (Completed)