UGANDA

The EU-EAC MARKUP II - is a regional development initiative that provides support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the East African Community (EAC) to enhance their export competitiveness, value addition and access to markets.

The project is tailored to the specific needs of each participating country targeting SMEs, sector associations and government institutions with the aim to create a more conducive business and export environment for SMEs and strengthen regional integration. The programme supports initiatives to address selected supply side constraints and enhance competitiveness. These include reducing market access barriers, strengthening the quality compliance and standards, value addition, certifi cation, training and capacity building for improved market access.

The programme supports initiatives to address selected supply side constraints and enhance competitiveness in Coffee, Cocoa, Packaging and horticulture (avocado) sectors. These include reducing market access barriers, strengthening the quality compliance and standards, value addition, certification, training and capacity building for improved market access.

Duration

2023- 2027
Funder

International Trade Centre
MAIN IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS AND BENEFICIARIES

MSMEs, and public/private institutions, research institutes and Business Support Organizations (BSOs) in the Coffee, Cocoa, Horticulture (Avocado) sectors and Packaging.
OVERALL OBJECTIVE

Contribute to economic development in the East African Community through increased sustainable intra-EAC /African and EU-EAC trade.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
- Improve livelihoods, employment, export competitiveness for MSMEs
- Promote economic growth in the region through value-addition, processing, diversification, export and investment promotion of priority value chains.
UNREALIZED EXPORT POTENTIAL

$ 3,1 billions.

METHODOLOGY

MARKUP II builds capacity of selected local institutions from public and private sector bodies. The programme assigns Performance Coaches who collaborate with Business Support Organisations and technical experts to entrench new innovations and competencies advancing the growing knowledge base across the region.

Good practices and lessons learnt from MARKUP I have informed the approach of MARKUP II. This includes extension of the established network of Quality Champions and emphasis on investment promotion which includes mobilisation of capital to address various needs related to quality compliance, certification, value addition, diversification of products and markets, branding and packaging.

MARKUP II mainstreams youth and gender through women and youth entrepreneurship groupings and supports selected regional women/ youth initiatives.

Key Activities:

Improving and harmonising practices of non-custom agencies at the borders
Strengthening testing capacities of relevant national institutions to better support coffee and cocoa sectors.
Training laboratory technicians in the maintenance and repair of test equipment.
Capacity buiding towards certifi cation and voluntary sustainability standards
Strengthening the standardisation services, including the development of national standardisation strategy
Provide Branding and Packaging capacity building
Providing capacity building in farmer service delivery and technology transfer – digitilisation of farm management processsing and supply chain management.
Improving post-harvesting, & processing, value-added products and related business processes
Technology transfer – networking with EU repositories for technology transfer (Chocolate making, avocado oil Sensory skills training, coffee roasting & Cafe business.)
Support NaCORI to develop into a fermentation reference, training and research centre on flavour product development to enhance cocoa quality
Green Solutions to Resource efficiency and circular production
Supporting identification, regulation and promotion of value-chain appropriate financing modalities
Market linkages : B2Bs, investment mission, e-commerce, online marketing, backward linkages, export consortia
Implement an export acceleration program to support MSME Internationalisation – Coffee