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Trade capacity-building program for better integration into the global trading system
When aligned with a viable environmental and social pathway, trade can be a driver of economic resilience. The Trade Capacity-Building Program (PRCC) supports developing countries in transforming their productive sectors through technical assistance, training programs, and sectoral or feasibility studies. In doing so, the PRCC facilitates these countries’ integration into the international trading system and supports their transition toward an inclusive and sustainable economy.
Objectives
- Develop trade policies and facilitate the regional economic integration of developing countries.
- Strengthen these countries’ competitive supply for regional and international markets.
Am I eligible?
The PRCC finances projects aimed at steering the trade ecosystem toward a sustainable environmental and social trajectory. Key selection criteria include the project’s impact on the inclusion of vulnerable populations, the economic empowerment of women, and the promotion of a fair and solidarity-based economy.
Projects eligible for PRCC support are identified locally by AFD field offices and regional economic departments, in dialogue with partner governments.
You represent:
- a public institution
- a regional private-sector organization
- a cooperative or producer organization
- a non-governmental organization (NGO)
- a chamber of commerce
- a stakeholder in a relevant value chain
Learn about our tailored solutions
Focus
The Geographical Indications (GI) Facility provides technical and financial support for the development of geographical indications in Africa and in countries of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). Implemented by CIRAD, the facility aims to establish a favorable legal and institutional framework for GIs, while also strengthening the capacities of value chain stakeholders and support actors. This support enables the registration of new pilot GIs, promotes the development of relevant sectors, and encourages research on GI development in Africa.
70 projects
Since 2003, the Trade Capacity-Building Program has financed more than 70 projects, with a total commitment of €160 million. Sixty percent of this funding has benefited Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
The PRCC mainly provides technical assistance, training, sectoral analyses and feasibility studies, funding for small equipment, and educational materials to public institutions and regional organizations, or directly to sector stakeholders.
The seventh iteration of the program was launched in April 2023 and will run through December 2025. The PRCC 7 has three core objectives:
- An overall focus on quality, with priority given to fair trade and geographical indications. This process also concerns improvement efforts to meet international standards and convergence with European Union regulations, mainly in the area of human and plant health. Intellectual property protection, and more specifically the development of geographical indications, is also included in this process.
- Support for the entrepreneurial ecosystem and sustainable sectors through the development of trade organizations such as chambers of commerce, export agencies, cooperatives, and business clusters. The program also supports entrepreneurship, and especially social enterprises and the scaling up of small businesses to bolster their international trade activities.
- Support for regional economic integration and facilitation of trade in Africa through operational assistance in implementing memoranda of understanding in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the harmonization of business law.