MarketLinked

An integrated export development programme

Traidlinks is piloting the innovative MarketLinked initiative in Uganda in partnership with the Uganda Export Promotion Board with the multiple purposes of:

Assisting business development and enhancing competitiveness among Ugandan agri-businesses.
strengthening Ugandan agri-businesses management in the food and processed food sector through focused skills transfer.
Identifying and facilitating exploitation of export opportunities in a neighbouring regional market.

"Of the many factors constraining Uganda’s export growth and development, the widespread scarcity of knowledge and skills in managing export development and marketing is one critical factor.” Uganda National Export Strategy, 2008-2012

Agriculture employs approximately 80% of the Ugandan population. Building the capacity of the food processing and agri-business sector has direct benefits through the supply chain to agriculture, providing an increasing internal and regional export market for agricultural products and supporting capacity building of farmers.

MarketLinked aims to provide an experiential, market-led focus for skills transfer, delivered by a combination of three formal workshops, market research and a Sales Mission to a neighbouring regional market.

MarketLinked integrates company appraisal, market research, sales promotion and skills transfer workshops in one programme. Tailored to the requirements of Ugandan agri-businesses, MarketLinked enables participants to identify interested buyers and provides an opportunity to develop both regional export sales and management skills.

MarketLinked focuses on the specific challenges facing each individual company. Participation in MarketLinked generates not only sales and market position but also improves company performance and management. MarketLinked is innovative, effective and exciting.

MarketLinked is a seven step process to promote exports by producers in developing countries by supporting them access their regional export markets.