EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme - MARKUP

    Overview

    Summary

    The Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP) is a regional initiative aiming at improving market access to the European Union (EU) and the East African region for five East Africa Community (EAC) partner countries - Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda - agro-industrial crop and horticultural sectors. MARKUP is funded by the EU 11th European Development Fund over the period 2018-2022. The Program will be implemented by various partners, including ITC, GIZ, UNIDO and other partners that will be selected by the EAC Partner States.  The intervention of ITC will entail the implementation of the activities to improve product quality compliance, value addition, access to finance and business promotion as well as business advocacy to facilitate trade in the EAC region. 

    Partners

    Sustainable Development Goals

    This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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    Projects

    Ally Lukindo, a small-scale black pepper farmer together with his family at their home in Tanzania
    Ally Lukindo, a small-scale black pepper farmer together with his family at their home in Tanzania
    Daniel Msirikale

    Helping East African Community farmers prosper.

    Thanks to the training provided by ITC through MARKUP, farmers in the East African Community (EAC) have learned how to assess the qualities of their coffee and negotiate a price, they have learned cocoa fermentation techniques, and they have also become skilled in marketing, branding and exporting their products.

    MARKUP supports small businesses in a variety of sectors, including avocado, cocoa, coffee, horticulture, spices and tea. We work to identify and eliminate barriers to their trade, improve their competitiveness and help provide access to finance and investment.  

    Through our work in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, we have:

    • Impacted the lives of more than 2,800 beneficiaries in EAC countries
    • Improved the export capacities of 780 companies
    • Helped 71 companies in the EAC countries generate at least $10.5m in exports
    • Assisted 79 companies in EAC countries to access $10 m in new funding
    • Facilitated more than $1 million of European investment in EAC based companies
    • Improved services of 16 regional and national institutions to member companies
    • Improved 12 trade-related policies, strategies and regulations in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda
    Thanks to the training by MARKUP I learned how to cup and assess the quality of my own coffees, which is so important for coffee farmers! Now I know what our coffees are worth, I am confident at the negotiating table, I know how to speak their language.
    Thanks to the training by MARKUP I learned how to cup and assess the quality of my own coffees, which is so important for coffee farmers! Now I know what our coffees are worth, I am confident at the negotiating table, I know how to speak their language.
    Gloria Gummerus
    Sakami Coffee, Kenya
    Prior to the training, we didn't even have a single fermented bean in our cooperative, none of our farmers knew how to do it in the advanced method, and after our training with our farmer cooperatives, members now know how to do fermentation.
    Prior to the training, we didn't even have a single fermented bean in our cooperative, none of our farmers knew how to do it in the advanced method, and after our training with our farmer cooperatives, members now know how to do fermentation.
    Bukama Francis
    Bwamba Cocoa Growers Cooperative Society Limited, Uganda
    MARKUP has helped us a lot. We knew exporting spices was difficult. Now with the knowledge of MARKUP I promise every export will be done without any problem.
    MARKUP has helped us a lot. We knew exporting spices was difficult. Now with the knowledge of MARKUP I promise every export will be done without any problem.
    Joyce Mmari
    MEDFOODS, Tanzania
    MARKUP increased our knowledge on best practices and helped reduce the number of rejected produce due to non-conformity. Thanks to the pre-sorting of produce at the farm level, the quality of the harvest has improved considerably. The company Effective M&N is now receiving higher volumes of quality French beans, which have potential for the export market.
    MARKUP increased our knowledge on best practices and helped reduce the number of rejected produce due to non-conformity. Thanks to the pre-sorting of produce at the farm level, the quality of the harvest has improved considerably. The company Effective M&N is now receiving higher volumes of quality French beans, which have potential for the export market.
    Daniel Muzungu
    Effective M&N, Rwanda
    We have come a long way. Switching from word-of-mouth marketing to a solid marketing strategy has been a rewarding experience.
    We have come a long way. Switching from word-of-mouth marketing to a solid marketing strategy has been a rewarding experience.
    Lorraine Girinka
    Kalico Coffee, Burundi

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    Documents

    ITC contact

    Taurai Kevin
    Musa
    Email
    musa [at] intracen.org