Global Trade Helpdesk
Access to trade and market intelligence is critical to export success. Most of small and medium enterprises (SME) often lack the resources and skills to acquire and process trade-related information such as market requirements and trade procedures which places them at a disadvantage and prevent them from using trade opportunities.
| Country/region | Topic | Period | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Global |
Sustainable trade |
01.01.2018
- 31.12.2021 |
CHF 1'000'000
|
- International Trade Center
-
Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation TRADE POLICY AND REGULATIONS
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Trade facilitation
Cross-cutting topics Specific project on gender equality.
principal
Project number UR01214
| Background |
Information transparency issues are among the main obstacles experienced by companies across countries in international trade. The smaller the company, the more it is affected by trade information transparency issues. Reasons for this include among others the fixed cost nature of researching and complying with different market requirements and trade procedures. To address this challenge, an online Global Trade Helpdesk, led by the International Trade Centre, will be developed to improve quality and transparency of trade-related information, strengthen public-private dialogue and transform this data into intelligence. |
| Objectives |
The overall objective of this multi-agency project aims to build a global online Trade Helpdesk with relevant and up-to-date market information that facilitates trade and investment related decisions of SMEs in developing countries. It will address the problem of the lack of information transparency and the complexity of information sources. The goal would be to support SMEs to make fully informed trade and investment decisions that could lead to greater international trade activity. To make the Global Trade Helpdesk beneficial to any company in any country, it will be provided free of charge as a Global Public Good. The Helpdesk will gather the best market information available from the databases of different international organizations and turn it into practical trade intelligence for the use of SMEs, policy makers and trade and investment support institutions. |
| Medium-term outcomes |
The objective will be reached through a sequenced development of the Global Trade Helpdesk comprising the following activities: Integration of trade-related data- development and testing of the web-portal. |
| Results |
Expected results: During the development phase: Information shall be collected, processed, analyzed, combined and made available on the Global Trade Helpdesk- The online Global Trade Helpdesk shall be developed and made operational- User support material shall be made available and stakeholders in 10 LDCs should be familiar with the platform and its tools. |
| Directorate/federal office responsible |
SECO |
| Credit area |
Development cooperation |
| Project partners |
Contract partner |
| Budget | Current phase Swiss budget CHF 1'000'000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF 0 Budget inclusive project partner CHF 9'561'382 |
| Project phases | Phase 1 01.01.2018 - 31.12.2021 (Current phase) |