SME Competitiveness Facility

KARIBU FAIR IN ARUSHA

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SCF Objective is to improve the international competitiveness of food processing and marketing SMEs to access and exploit new markets SCF cordially invites you to meet following SME Food Processors during the Karibu Trade Fair at the SCF Booth Stand no: SE 2 & 3.

Appointments at scf.arusha@marketaccesstz.org phone: 027 25 45 413

Management Structure

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Mr. Ibrahim Seushi Chairman	Ibrahim Seushi is a Director in PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has led a wide range of consultancy assignments in the public and private sectors, among them several that dealing with the growth of small and medium enterprises – SMEs.He is the Chairman of the Tanzania Gatsby Trust and a former Board member of Transparency International.Ibrahim has worked with the development of Tanzania’s micro finance policy, the development of SACCOs and rural and agricultural projects. He started his career in Agricultural Credit with the Tanzania Rural Development Bank.He has a B.A. in Economics and Management and a Masters of Agricultural Science.Ibrahim is committed to the growth of Tanzania’s SME, and his long experience and broad network of contacts in Tanzania and beyond guide the decisions of the Board.
Ms. Anna Temu VC Chairman	Anna Temu is a food scientist and an entrepreneur. She is the Managing Director of Power Foods and has won medals for the quality of her products. She serves on a number of steering committees for vocational education, sorghum and millet improvement and commercialization. For many years she worked with the National Bank of Commerce as a technical advisor for financial services for food based businesses. Anna has a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture specializing in food science and technology and several short courses related to food processing, marketing and quality assurance. Anna’s perspective as a business person who knows both the constraints and opportunities in exporting makes a substantive contribution to the decisions of the Board.
Mr. Josephat Makundi Member	Josephat Makundi, who is resident in Mwanza, epitomizes the definition of an entrepreneur. He owns Africana Tents, an innovative business in the category of SME in Mwanza; he has worked until recently in a Business Development Services project, has in depth knowledge of microfinance and Tanzanian and international experience. Josephat has a diploma in business studies and further training in finance and development subjects. Josephat ensures that BDS providers in the Lake Zone know how to make use of the SCF. His knowledge BDS providers in Tanzania will be valuable.
	Adiel Nyiti is the Director of Industry in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Marketing (MITM). He is a member of the Board of the Small Industry Development Organisation (SIDO). His long experience in the industrial sector with particular emphasis to SMEs provides an essential link between the public and private sectors.Mr. Nyiti was instrumental in preparation of SME Policy which was launched in 2003. The SME sector falls under the Directorate of Industry which is headed by Mr. Nyiti.He is also a member of a National Entrepreneurship Fund (NEDF) which is chaired by the Permanent Secretary – MITM with members from public sector, the private sector and donor community.
	Andrew Temu represents the academic world on the Board. He is an Associate Professor at Sokoine University of Agriculture. Andrew has extensive knowledge of agricultural finance, privatisation, divestiture of agricultural parastatals and private sector development, designing and directing rural development and policy management short courses. Other areas of specialization are policy and programme planning and evaluation, rural research designs and socio-economic surveys. He has training and experience in research fieldwork and data collection methods. Andrew is the Chairman of the Board of the Private Agricultural Sector Support (PASS) Trust. Andrew has a PhD in Agricultural Economics.His inquisitive mind and insistence on excellence enhance the advice of the Board.
Mr. Casmir Makoye SCF Director	Mr. Makoye is an Agricultural Economist with wide experience in programs and projects supervision, planning and Management, conducting feasibility studies, appraisal and evaluation as well as private sector development models both financial and non-financial services and value chain development. Casmir also has working experience in objective oriented project Development planning (OOPP), Participatory methodologies including PRA and PM&E, Rural and community Development, Rural credit and finance and sector policy planning.Mr. Makoye has undertaken several consultancy assignments both in his individual capacity and through employing organizations like then project preparations and Monitoring bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, VECO – Tanzania and Cas~Bert Trading and Consulting Co. Ltd. Mr Makoye has worked with World BankResident mission in Tanzania, National Income Generation Program (NIGP) as Rural Development Specialist, UNDP/UNCDF as Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor, First Manager of PASS, At Technosrve Tanzania as Senior Business Advisor, SNV (Private Sector Dev.) as a senior Advisor.
	Comming soon – Profile for Mr. Baraka Zebedayo
Ms. Djalou Franco – Business Manager	Back ground in Horticulture and Rural Development.3 Years as business advisor supporting farmer business groups at Technoserve Capacity building of business groups members into various aspects of leadership, group management, business skills, resource mobilisation and marketing , business negotiation and advocate.Inherent ability to sensitize , mobilize, Organizing business groups into legal entities.Competence in various computer software’s including word processing, spread sheet and statistical package for data analysis and report writing skills.Design; prepare training materials and production guidelines.Provider of agriculture extension services.Value chain analysis.Ability to coordinate and work in a team of multidisciplinary environment.Proficient in project planning, monitoring and evaluation.
	Sandra Nassor is an Administrative Officer at SME Competitiveness Facility. She has skills in Administrative Management and Principles, database management, filling systems and principles, stock control, accounting systems and software applications. She has a Diploma in Business Administration and several certificate courses which include: Certificate in Air Travelling and Tourism. Sandra has worked with Private Agricultural Sector Support (PASS) as a Receptionist and later as Portfolio Supervisor. She has also worked with Quick Travel and Tours as Air Ticketing Sales Manager and UN-RUSERP Kasulu as Data Computer Operator. Sandra is committed to her job with strong interpersonal skills, good oral and written communication and self motivated. She interacts easily with people of different cultures and backgrounds.

Downloads

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Files,Reports,Manuals,Brochures,Studies…

File Name

Description

Date

SME MATCHING GRANT APPLICATION FORM – English

Only typewritten applications will be considered. Follow indications given in each part, for additional space, please add pages.

Today

SME MATCHING GRANT APPLICATION FORM – Swahili

Maombi yatakayoandikwa kwa kompyuta ndiyo yatakayoshughulikiwa. Fuata maelekezo yaliyoewekwa kwenye kila namba. Kama nafasi haitoshi ongeza karatasi zako

Today

SUNFLOWER OIL VALUE CHAIN REPORT – Zipped

Sunflower cultivation and processing has been steadily increasing in recent past in Tanzania.Sunflower can be cultivated in a wide range of ecological zones in the Eastern, Central,Northern and Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Agronomic minimum requirements of the crop are low, and the returns of a more intensive cultivation are significant, thus the crop can be incorporated in extensive low-input agriculture as well as in intensive farming systems.

December 2011

DIARY VALUE CHAIN REPORT – Zipped

The dairy sector in Tanzania can be divided into three distinctive parts: the subsistence farming system with home consumption, semi-subsistence system with partial link to the market via informal channels and the improved farming system utilizing the formal marketing channels.

December 2011

SME MARKETING MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT STUDY REPORT

Based on its experience and in consultation with stakeholders SCF determined that food processors lack sufficient marketing skills to effectively promote their products in an increasingly competitive environment. SCF engaged M.U.U Answers to study how effectively the lead executives of food SMEs in Tanzania understand and optimize usage of marketing communications and information dissemination tools, technology and services; detecting and outlining (marketing management) capacity development needs observed.

November
2010

TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT IN FOOD PROCESSING ENTERPRISES

Food Industry technical improvements for future growth(From Agriculture Tradition and Fertile land to processed food success in local markets and exports.

February
2010

SME EXPORT MARKET PROSPECTS DESK STUDY

The aim of this study was to assess export market prospects for Tanzanian Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) in order to identify areas where they need support in line with the objectives of the SME Competitiveness Facility (SCF). The study involved review, analysis and synthesis of various relevant. In what follows, the major findings from the study are summarized.

March 2006

Who Can Apply

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Eligibility of Applicants

The Applicants should be:

SMEs engaged in food processing and/or food marketing;
Clusters of Food SMEs in the same geographic area or industry, including Associations of food processors, etc.

A consortium of eligible organisations may submit Applications, provided the basis and membership of the consortium is clearly identified.
Applicant organisations must:

1. Be registered as a business or association;
2. Have a bank account;
3. Have a written constitution, memorandum of understanding; and
4. Where an Applicant is a branch of a larger organisation, these requirements will apply both to the branch and to the larger organisation.

Eligibility of Proposed Projects

The Eligibility Criteria for screening of proposed projects will be used to determine to what extent the proposed projects are designed to achieve at least one of the first four SCF outputs indicated in Section Three above and may include opportunities to improve performance in categories such as :

·               Product and/or process quality improvement;
·               Technology transfer;
·               Product development/diversification;
·               Structural innovation along the SME’s value chain;
·               Product standardisation;
·               Quality assurance;
·               Better packaging (eg, appearance, shelf life);
·               Marketing strategies;
·               Trade fair participation, matchmaking, and/or network creation;
·               MIS or other technology utilization;
·               International standard compliance and/or certifications; ·               Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Financial Limits

support may range from 50 percent to 95 percent of the eligible costs, graduated and segmented as indicated previously.

The size of the grants will range between TSH 10,000,000 (TSH ten millions) and TSH 100,000,000 (TSH one hundred millions) per activity. If the activity is rolled off a number of times, the grant total could reach a maximum of TSH 300,000,000 (TSH three hundred millions) per cluster or association.

Time Limits

There is no formal deadline for applications as they can be received throughout the year; however, as the Board will meet quarterly, financial commitments will be made four times a year. However, no applications will be received in the last two quarters of the Project to allow proper monitoring and end of project evaluation. The last batch of applications will, therefore, be received by SCF Management in December 2012.

Notification of rejected applications

The SCF Management may reject applications that for obvious reasons do not fulfil the eligibility criteria described in the annex. The Board will subsequently be informed about the rejection, and the applicant will in a Letter of Rejection be informed about the reason for the rejection. Such applicant may resubmit an improved application up to three times, after which that application will not be considered. The applicant may, however, apply for support in another area eligible under the SCF facility.

SCF Management Assessment of Applications

The SCF management will assess the eligible applications as per annexed criteria and forward all assessments with recommendations to SCF Board for approval or rejections.

Assessment Criteria

The SCF Board will assess eligible applications on a competitive basis against the established criteria. Some aspects of the eligibility criteria are reemphasised below:

Will the Initiative make an Effective Contribution to the SCF Objectives?

In making this assessment, preference will be given to initiatives from Food Processing and Food Marketing SMEs that will:
Increase value addition and sales volume of food products aimed at “international” clients, both domestic and foreign;
Achieve improved utilization of technology, applying it to products for “international” markets, both domestic and foreign;
Strengthen the abilities of their representatives to disseminate information on their export products;
Enhance their ability to utilize appropriate BDS providers.

The SCF Management will further consider the question: Is the initiative well designed?

The design should be realistic, and should do each of the following:

Clearly identify the need which is being addressed.
Set out a clear logical link between the aims of the initiative and the proposed activities.
Include a time bound work plan and budget.
Identify staffing and logistical arrangements.
Identify how progress will be measured, monitored and reported; and
Demonstrate how activities will be sustained after the end of the initiative

It may be noted, that the SCF Management may suggest to the Applicant to refine the initial Application for Support. The SCF Management may also in certain cases provide professional assistance to the refinement of promising but not well developed initiatives.

East Africa BDS Providers

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Business Development Service (BDS) Providers provide services directly to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). They may be individuals, private for-profit firms, NGOs, parastatals, national or sub-national government agencies, cooperatives, industry associations, etc. Providers may also be firms whose core business is not the provision of business development services, but they provide them as part of a broader transaction or a business-to-business relationship (an example is a buyer who supports producers with advice, inputs, or in other ways.)

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) includes micro enterprises as well as small- and medium-scale enterprises. These size categories are usually defined by the number of employees or by assets, but can vary by country and/or institution. No precise definition is adopted here.

Types of Institutions That Deliver BDS

NGOs:
NGOs can be providers, facilitators, or both. This section looks at the role of NGOs as providers. One of the advantages of an NGO is that it can receive funding to subsidize the market development costs of a new service. NGOs also tend to seek equitable models of service provision that balance both social and profit motives.

It should be noted that supporters of the market paradigm (see Donor Guidelines on the ILO website cited above) argue that NGOs engaged in BDS provision should sustain their services through direct or indirect fees from small enterprises. The challenges of doing this are often the reason that NGOs chose to become facilitators rather than direct providers of services.

Business Associations:
Professional or trade associations are frequently created to give members a voice with local authorities. In addition to this advocacy work, associations may also engage in other activities informative newsletters, networking, and discount programs for members. They also may provide effective BDS in specific, though not all, situations.

Producer Associations & Cooperatives:
Associations and cooperatives are composed of producers or business owners who come together for a common purpose. They are characterized by their membership and a management structure that includes a board of directors. The board represents the members and makes certain decisions on their behalf. When well run, associations and cooperatives can provide members with sustainable and valuable BDS, including access to markets, better prices for their products, and lower priced inputs.

Private Sector Intermediaries:
Private sector intermediaries (wholesale buyers and input suppliers) can provide a variety of BDS to small enterprises, including:

1. Identifying new markets for SE products,
2. Advising on product design (based on input from buyers),
3. Quality control,
4. Grouping producers to fulfill large orders,
5. Credit,
6. Access to quality raw materials,
7. Overland transport, and
8. Advocating with government.

Small enterprises generally do not pay direct fees to intermediaries for these services. Rather, they pay indirectly through the margin (between the purchasing cost and selling price) the intermediary receives. A major advantage to supporting them is that their services to SEs are sustainable through their involvement in the commercial market.

For-Profit Consulting and Service Firms:
These firms can provide a wide array of management, legal, and information services to small enterprises. Like intermediaries, they rely on commercial transactions in the private sector for their livelihood, which if successful, are sustainable. These firms can be individuals or companies with several employees.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR OUR SERVICES?

Business associations and organisations
Clusters of businesses
Business Development Service (BDS) Provider firms
Individual SMEs piloting innovative ideas with outreach.

WHAT CAN THE SCF SUPPORT?

SCF supports product quality improvement, the ability of businesses to meet international standards and export. The focus is a limited number of services and sub sectors:

WHAT TYPE OF SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE?

SCF support is in the form of matching grants, i.e. SCF will provide part of the total amount required for a proposed activity to supplement the investment of the applicant. Applicants MUST be prepared to contribute toward the proposed activities, usually 50 per cent of the costs. Examples are:

Capacity building targeted to all BDS providers to train SMEs in the selected services and sub-sectors
Technical assistance linked to the selected services and sub-sectors
Links to the Private Agricultural Sector Support Trust (PASS) and financial institutions for implementation of successful pilot activities.

HOW DO YOU APPLY?

Send a brief (maximum 2 pages) concept paper in either English or Kiswahili to the SCF office. You will be notified as to whether or not your concept is eligible. If it is, you will be asked to complete the application form.

WHEN ARE GRANTS AWARDED?

Grants will be awarded quarterly. It is therefore important that you start the application process in good time before your activity