The Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed an agreement on March 30th 2021 to implement a project called “Building Resilient MSMEs- Accelerating Digitization”. This project seeks to establish national structures to support the accelerated digitization of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Belize. Primarily, it will provide capacity building to promote resilient economic development and to increase MSMEs business digital capabilities so they can recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The project comprises three main areas:

  • An MSME Medium Term Strategy to strengthen the MSME ecosystem;
  • A Digital/virtual platform that provide MSMEs with capacity building and knowledge exchange, inclusive of a B2B e-commerce portal where service providers such as distributors, logistics, marketing, and back-office (e.g. accounting/bookkeeping & I.T) can connect with goods and services providers to deliver products effectively through digital channels; and,
  • A pilot testing stage with approximately 150 MSMEs to enhance the use of the Virtual Knowledge Center.

This initiative highlights that digital platforms provide a diverse range of support services to MSMEs, including self-help/self-paced e-learning opportunities, and facilitates information and knowledge dissemination services as well as business trade and business networking. Furthermore, it will create a supportive ecosystem for MSME entrepreneurs to increase market access and facilitate supply chain, and encourages MSMEs to seize opportunities to promote the use of technology to solve business challenges during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic.

For additional information on the Building Resilient MSMEs- Accelerating Digitization project, kindly contact the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE) via email at projects@belizeinvest.org.bz or at +501-822-3737.

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