The project supports small and micro-manufacturing apparel products businesses for export and local markets. It facilitates growth in this sector, strengthening the supporting services and enabling the environment needed for micro and small enterprises to grow. Furthermore, it allows these micro and small businesses to become more resilient and secure access to local and export markets and strengthens their market linkages with key selling points, including online sales channels, and exporters, with a strong focus on diaspora business networks – by making them part of the overall value chain. The project thus facilitates, and triggers market system changes and supports small and micro-manufacturing businesses to access services, technologies, and technical support they need to increase the design, quality, quantity, and continuity of their supply in response to market needs and demands.
The project facilitates entrepreneurship growth initiatives around start-ups and recently established enterprises. It supports business initiatives around new products and services mainly, but not limited to, business-to-business (B2B) markets. It focuses on supporting entrepreneurship initiatives that address the demand of micro and small manufacturing businesses in the selected sectors, in the function of the demand and needs of their buyers/distributors, and/or the possible (digital) direct marketing channels. It engages local partner organizations specialized in entrepreneurship initiatives to implement these interventions. It facilitates entrepreneurship growth by supporting young enterprises and start-ups with products/services that are essential for growing macro/small manufacturing businesses, assisting these to improve their business knowledge; building their technical, entrepreneurial, marketing, logistic, and quality management capacity; enhancing their (new) business development; and forging the required linkages in the value chains and market networks. The project also engages diaspora actors and networks as a knowledge source to promote Kosovo’s private sector growth.
Fostering the growth and development of micro/small (family) businesses in the apparel and furniture sectors, and facilitating their entrepreneurship growth: