ITC’s Trade Finance Programme is designed to facilitate access to finance of small and medium sized enterprises exporting from developing and transition countries. It provides technical assistance aimed at strengthening schemes and mechanisms offered by financial institutions in both private and public sectors, in the field of export finance, short term trade credit and credit insurances and guarantees, and build up the capacity of entrepreneurs and credit officers in dealing with credit and financial risk management The programme is targeted to three distinct levels where constraints and needs require a different set of activities: Enterprises, i.e public and private manufacturers and traders, with particular attention on SME’s in developing and transition countries; Financial institutions, which include banks and other financial service providers such as discount, factoring and forfaiting houses, export-import banks, export credit insurance and guarantees agencies; Financial environment, comprising public sector institutions, official organizations, financial, monetary, fiscal and legal authorities involved directly or indirectly with finance issues and that all together have a direct impact on the availability and cost of trade finance.

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