Business recruitment for CBI – Food Ingredients Export Coaching Program

Fresh Studio collaborated with Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) and the Center for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) to recruit small and medium businesses to participate in the CBI Food Ingredients Export Coaching Program (ECP).

The goal of ECP in Vietnam is to promote and enhance the competitive position of value added food ingredient products from Vietnam for export to the EU market. The Vietnamese businesses selected for the ECP are trained and coached to formulate their export marketing strategies, adjust production processes, improve personnel capacity on the requirements of European markets, and establish business relationships with potential clients in Europe.

For effective recruitment, Fresh Studio consultants cooperated with Vietrade officials to search and select food ingredient businesses who meet ECP selection criteria. These potential ECP companies were then invited to attend the conference entitled “EU Export Coaching Program – Food Ingredients Vietnam” in Ho Chi Minh City last 20th December 2013. The conference was aimed to introduce the objectives, requirements ad stages of ECP to Vietnamese food ingredient businesses. Over 100 business representatives attended the event.

Currently, over 20 applications have been submitted. These applications will be reviewed and pre-selected by CBI for pre-auditing and auditing in order to gain insights into the companies’ current export strengthens and weaknesses. CBI will accordingly select the most suitable businesses for the next steps.Also interesting to read:

Workshop: improving Pangasius’ market position in Europe

HCMC – As a module of its supporting project of VASEP, CBI requested the assistance of Fresh Studio to design and facilitate a workshop. The aim of the workshop was developing a brand strategy for pangasius to enter the European market.

Background
Pangasius is one of the key commodities in Vietnam and contributes important to the Vietnam export sector both in total value as well as in global outreach. However, over the past years, the export of pangasius is suffering from a poor image (resulting in declining prices and decreasing revenues). In order to counter the negative perception, price and revenue spiral, the Vietnam pangasius sector has expressed the ambition to develop a sector wide promotion and brand strategy, mainly targeting the two export markets USA and Europe.


The Centre for the Promotion of Imports (CBI) contributes to sustainable economic development in developing countries through the expansion of export from these countries to the Netherlands and larger European Union.


In Vietnam, CBI is already active in supporting Vietnamese companies to strengthen their competitive capacity in various sectors.


Currently CBI is engaged in the Vietnam pangasius sector and in this closely collaborates with the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Support of Fresh Studio
CBI requested the assistance of Fresh Studio to support the market position of Vietnamese pangasius in Europe. Fresh Studio has strong expertise and experience in (1) marketing and branding of agricultural foods and (2) aquaculture sector in Vietnam. Fresh Studio designed and facilitated a brand strategy workshop for VASEP, which was conducted in Ho Chi Minh City.


A very important outcome of the workshop was the understanding and precisely definition of the need of VASEP; the development of an end-consumption oriented communication strategy.Also interesting to read:

CBI and VIETRADE sign partnership agreement

HANOI – Fresh Studio’s client CBI has signed a partnership agreement with VIETRADE for its export coaching program. CBI promotes the export of products from developing countries to the EU market.

On Wednesday 17 September 2013, the Deputy director General of VIETRADE (Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency), Mr. Do Kim Lang, and Country Manager Vietnam of CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries, agency of Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Mr. Koos van Eyk, signed a partnership agreement for CBI’s Export Coaching Program (ECP) on the food ingredient sector of Vietnam.

Export Coaching Program
The ECP is developed for ambitious entrepreneurs in countries as Vietnam. The aim of the program is to promote and enhance the competitive position of value added food ingredient products for export to the EU market. The programme is exclusively for small and medium size enterprises in Vietnam and helps companies to define an export marketing strategy, adjust processes and procedures, coach personnel on market requirement and create contacts with potential clients in Europe.

Audits Food Ingredient Companies
Fresh Studio recruited the first companies for the ECP program in the food ingredient sector in early 2013 and during August-September 2013 audited these companies to assess the potential to export their products to the EU market. Next step in the program will be the make an action plan per company after which the actual export capacity building will start.

More information
For more information about the export Programme please visit the CBI website or contact CBI through foodasia@cbi.eu (Subject: ECP Food Ingredients Vietnam).Also interesting to read:

Export coaching program in food ingredient sector of Vietnam

HCMC – Fresh Studio is assisting CBI to recruit ambitious manufacturers and exporters in the food ingredient sector who are eager to expand their export activities to Europe.

To inform companies about the program, explain in detail about the different modules of the program and to assist them with the application, Fresh Studio organized a two-day information booth in Ho Chi Minh City on January 24 and 25, 2013.

The CBI export coaching program consists of an initial business audit to assess the registered companies on their competence for the European market. After this an action plan is made for the selected companies. The next two modules focus on business development and export capacity building (how to meet European market demands, explore these markets and the development of an export strategy).

The certification module will give companies technical assistance with the process of certification, if needed, to gain access to the European market. Final modules of the program focus on the actual market entry in which companies are assisted to gain marketing experience, get in touch with business contacts, and participate in events such as trade fairs.

The deadline for the first round to apply for the Export Coaching Program for Food Ingredients in Vietnam is March 31, 2013. The program is due to start in September 2013. Applications are judged on a ‘first come first served’ basis.

CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries) is an Agency of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. CBI was established in 1971 in order to support producers and exporters from developing countries to get a foothold in the Dutch market. In 1991 activities were expanded to the EU market. CBI encourages business support organizations in developing countries to improve their capabilities, and acts as ‘matchmakers’ between suppliers and buyers.Also interesting to read:

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