Access to Markets
Introduction
The major objective of the Access to Markets component of the MSME Project is to facilitate the MSMEs’ access to markets in order for them to increase their revenue and employ more people. There are four sub-components under the Access to Markets component;
Business Development Services (BDS) Fund
The BDS Fund is a matching grant scheme with the objective of offering essential Business Development Services to MSMEs and developing the market for these services. MSMEs that have identified specific non-financial business development services (such as development of Business or Marketing plans, development of operation manuals, technical assistance in restructuring operations, etc) can approach the BDS Fund to provide 50% of the cost of the services. MSMEs interested in this facility must be in the position to pay 50% of the cost of the service, and must be able to complete the service before the end of the BDS Fund.
The first phase of the BDS Fund was implemented jointly by Landell Mills and Empretec (Ghana).
The second phase – which is now starting – is being implemented by Triodos Facet (Netherlands) and SNV (Ghana). They can be contacted on 0302-77 52 40, or at their offices at No. 6 , Mankata Close, Airport Residential Area (Accra) - behind the National Service Secretariat.
Value Chain Study
The MSME Project financed a study into viable value chains in Ghana. The study identified six sectors with value chains that could be supported to improve the competitiveness of MSMEs within those sectors. The study was conducted by Ecorys Consulting, and the six identified value chains were;
- Cosmetics
- FishFood Processing
- Oil Palm
- Plastics
- Salt
Web-Based Product Gallery
The objective of the Web-Based Product Gallery (WBPG) is to provide an online platform to display made-in-Ghana products to interested buyers/ investors. It was designed to complement a physical product gallery that would serve as a showroom for made-in-Ghana products. This component is being implemented by the Domestic Trade & Distribution of MOTI.
Information on company and product profiles of a number of MSMEs producing products locally has been collected, and will be featured on the web portal. A web developer has been recruited to develop the portal for the Web-Based Product Gallery.
MSMEs interested in having their company and products on the Web-Based Product Gallery should contact the MSME Project through the address at the back of this brochure.
Industrial Sub-contracting and Partnership Exchanges (SPX)
The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) is implementing this component, which seeks to encourage large firms to outsource some aspects of their contracts to smaller companies, and also to improve the capacity of the smaller companies to implement these sub-contracts.
Through the assistance of the MSME Project, the AGI has been able to establish successful sub-contracts involving some twenty-three (23) MSMEs in the construction sub-sector. The total amount involved with the sub-contracts was over 4.5 million Ghana Cedis.