Business support clients include:
Christian Aid
Christian Aid is supporting one of its partners – a farmers' cooperative in Nicaragua - to increase its coffee exports to Europe by financing marketing training and attendance at BioFach (a World Organic Trade fair in Nuremburg, Germany).
The Market Access Centre is undertaking an organisational review and needs assessment, conducting trade fair participation training and supporting their participation in the event.
Harvest Help
Harvest Help is managing a five year project in Zambia entitled "Project for the Reduction of Poverty". The Market Access Centre is project managing the technical input (market assessment study, basic business skills training, value chain studies and other technical inputs) and has contracted Business Consult Africa, Malawi to lead on the technical inputs with our support.
Oxfam
Oxfam wanted staff to be more comfortable in assessing project proposals relating to market access and to understand the issue of market access fits in to a wider development agenda. We worked with Oxfam to develop and deliver a workshop entitled "Understanding Market Access" that has been rolled out to Oxfam offices around the world.
The Tree Council/WTA Educational Services
As part of a project to conserve the biodiversity of the taiga forest in Siberia the partners were keen to investigate a range of export opportunities for the region and build the business skills of the local project leader.
The Market Access Centre undertook two market studies (UK market opportunities for birch bark crafts and Siberian pine nuts) and organised an eight day tailored market awareness training programme, including:
- one-to-one mentoring from staff and specialist food and craft design consultants
- shop and trade visits, and
- meetings with potential buyers
