Entrepreneurial Exporting Excellence (3E) Program Launches its 2nd Phase

CAF - Development Bank of Latin America has partnered with the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor) to invite all SMEs in Ecuador to apply for the second phase of the Entrepreneurial Exporting Excellence (3E) program, which aims to boost the exporting potential of the country’s companies, enabling their entry into new markets and improving their entrepreneurial capacity through specialized training on process implementation and management. 

SMEs from the country’s agro-business and services sectors that have had some kind of rapprochement with internationalization processes are urged to submit their application starting May 20, 2019.  The program seeks to teach as many as 48 SMEs the ropes of exporting and the development of export plans.  The 3E program will support a dozen SMEs in the implementation of their export plans, which will result in the acquisition of quality certifications, as well as the development of product adequacy processes and access to new export markets.  The initiative aims to benefit 60 SMEs.

In his keynote speech, CAF Private Sector Analysis and Technical Assessment Director Juan Carlos Elorza said that Ecuadorian companies, particularly SMEs, require technical support, as well as training and specialized consulting to develop a strategic and practical export plan, which allows them to effectively enter international markets and execute specific actions that may be required depending on the target market.

Meanwhile, Fedexpor President Daniel Legarda praised 3E’s first phase, which saw as many as 10 companies successfully finish the year-and-a-half program, improving their capacity to place their products in international markets. He also said that, as a result, five companies entered or potentialized their presence in export markets, while adding six product innovations and quality improvements and obtaining three certifications by entering new markets, among other outcomes.

ProEcuador, a non-governmental organization focused on opening markets and fostering international promotion, will provide specialized support, along with the Higher Polytechnic Institute of the Littoral (ESPOL), an academic institution that will reinforce education to company managers.

It is important to emphasize that during the first and second phases, the program’s implementation model has a component that will facilitate the execution and follow-up of the actions reflected in the resulting plans, which will drive companies to expand their scope, as well as effectively place their products with support from Fedexpor and ProEcuador.

The project has been designed in compliance with CAF’s strategic guidelines to boost productivity. The program was designed with elements that allow an integrated approach, aimed at helping companies develop sustainable capacities, as well as generating useful information to enable international trade and strengthen the bond between public and private entities, an essential condition for business growth.

This is CAF’s contribution to the country's growth in new markets, helping escalate business capabilities that lead to the well-being of Ecuador’s citizens.