BACKGROUND
To accelerate the international success of Vietnamese companies we implement a three-year program to guide selected SMEs in their international growth: the Ready to Export (R2E) program. The program is aimed at three specific business sectors: Agro-food, horticulture and manufacturing. In this way we can tailor to specific needs. The Agro-food and horticulture sector is a sector that is large and important to both The Netherlands and Vietnam. Dutch companies already have a strong presence in Vietnam, meaning that we can introduce the participants to a strong network. The Dutch government also has a strategic partnership with Vietnam on agriculture. Manufacturing is a sector that Vietnam is traditionally strong in, but the majority of manufacturing companies still do not meet with FDIs and MNEs standards. Compared to other countries in the region, Vietnamese MNEs still have a relatively high percentage of semi-finished products that are sourced regionally instead of domestically.
www.readytoexport.org
The program consists of 3 types of service: Training, Coaching and Networks.
- The first pillar, training, will be (on- and offline) classroom training on both skills and knowledge.
- The second pillar, about coaching, is a one-on-one coaching program designed to a company’s needs, and is delivered through Dutch Business Association (DBAV) members experienced managers in the field.
- The third pillar is the networking pillar, where the companies become members of the DBAV network, and are introduced to potential future business partners, and provide the practical side of linkage to European businesses and domestic FDI’s and MNE’s.
R2E thus promotes trade relationships between the Netherlands and Vietnam. The project will be implemented over a period of 3 years, and in each year, the selected Vietnamese SME will go through one cycle of the 3 pillars, and based on lessons learnt in each year, modifications will be made to the project activities for implementation in the following year, so that the program is more adaptable to the actual needs of the SME and other implementation challenges.
