Tunisia: Training for e-commerce and export advisors

Selection Number: 1263495
Contract Description: This assignment specifically focuses on increasing women-led SMEs access to domestic and export markets through e-commerce, and to increase their sales from e-commerce in Tunisia. There are two main sub-activities envisaged: (1) scoping and market analysis to understand where are the key challenges and constraints to e-commerce for womens SMEs; and (2) develop and deliver a package of support services to women-led SMEs, in partnership with local stakeholders, that will increase sales, markets and profits via e-commerce. The specific support services rendered will respond to the challenges and opportunities identified, and may include support with some of the following: i) information on the details and seller specifications of various e-commerce platforms in the country ii) advice on product/design improvements to ensure better product-market fit iii) support to create attractive and informative presentations on the platforms of the services/goods offered by the womens businesses (and in several languages), iv) managing the client/prospect relationship v) local knowledge and referrals on how to fulfill orders including logistical know-how (shipping, warehousing, importing and exporting) and vi) financial subsidy for logistics or account subscription. The ultimate target beneficiaries of the project are womens SMEs which is defined for project purposes as formal women-owned (fully or partly owned) and women-managed SMEs with 5 employees or more, or smaller but showing a high growth potential, and producing goods sellable through e-commerce platforms. There are four MENA countries in this first phase of the project (Egypt, Lebanon, Djibouti and Tunisia) with another three potential countries in Phase 2 (Algeria, Jordan and Morocco)