Integrated Development and Competitiveness Project

closed

The objective of the Integrated Development and Competitiveness Project is to promote the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and relevant value chain actors in the agriculture, tourism and associated sectors in Comoros. There are three components to the project, the first component being value-chain development in priority sectors. This component will also aim to strengthen key tourism sector institutions, policies, and regulations to enhance the attractiveness of the region as a more holistic, connected destination, and pave the way for a sustained effort to address the long-standing sector constraints. This support will facilitate the materialization of scenarios for short-medium term sector development, including: (i) enclave anchor investment (Grande Comore) with island extensions (ii) limited, niche offerings developed on islands; and (iii) anchor investment on Grande Comore stimulating tourism hub and spokes. This component includes three subcomponents: strengthening the institutional environment for agriculture and tourism value chain development, structuring value chains for agribusiness development, and productive infrastructure for connectivity and market access. The second component is the direct support to firms. The objective of component two is to strengthen the competitiveness of the private sector by providing direct financial and technical support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives. This component includes two subcomponents: Business Plan Competition to support early stage enterprise development, and Matching fund for high growth MSMEs and cooperatives. Finally, the third component is the project implementation and coordination. This component will support the operating costs of the project’s institutional and governance arrangements. These include facilitating the activities of the project Steering Committee, setting up and managing a dedicated Project Management Unit (anchored under MEAPE), facilitating project stakeholder outreach and communication, and undertaking project evaluation and monitoring studies.