Promotion of Micro and Small Enterprises in Cap-Haitien

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In the Haitian Northern Department, the SMEs have very limited access to basic resources to allow them to be competitive for example: qualified human resources to provide technical assistance, financial resources, and modern information technologies. They are currently working in an isolated manner and receiving no support from the public sector or other donors who give more attention to SMEs located in the Capital city. Many micro entrepreneurs are leaving the Department to migrate toward Port-au-Prince, Dominican Republic, and The Bahamas to escape poverty. To address this critical problem SOCOOPEC will (i) assessing the SMEs needs and performance; (ii) develop a dedicated training program for each SMEs value chain; (iii) facilitate access to bigger and longer term loans for SMEs that need this type of financing; (iv) create linkages between SMEs of a same value chain; (v) support the development of local expertise to accompany the transformation process to competitive SMEs; and use new information and communication technologies (NTIC) to leverage their competitiveness. The overall objective is to increase the competitiveness of SMEs located in the Northern Department of Haiti. The specific objective is to strengthen the institutional, technical, and managerial capacities of SMEs that make up SOCOOPEC providing access to financial and non-financial business services designed to improve their productivity and competitiveness. It includes three components: Upgrading SMEs capacities to provide better quality and competitive services; and Increasing SMEs competitiveness.