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_ADVISORY SUPPORT
FACTS &
NEWS UPDATE
SMALL BUSINESSES
We are Trade Ready – are you?
A brief history
Launched in 1999, the Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP) aims to promote foreign trade to, from and among the economies where the EBRD invests through a range
of products.
Through the programme, the EBRD provides guarantees to international confirming banks and short-term loans to selected issuing banks and factoring companies for on-lending to local exporters, importers
and distributors.
Small businesses are the driving force behind the economy, which is why the EBRD is giving them, and international trade, a boost
The EBRD has launched a new initiative to increase access to trade finance and trade-related advice for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The trade support initiative, known as Trade Ready, will help SMEs involved in import and export activities to get
the finance and know-how they need to strengthen their ability to trade and to grow. The first countries to benefit from Trade Ready are Georgia and Serbia, with the Kyrgyz Republic to follow in 2019. Other countries will be added on a rolling basis.
ACCESS TO TRADE FINANCE
Many SMEs are unaware of the benefits of trade finance products and how accessible they can be. Trade Ready helps small businesses understand how trade finance instruments offered by local banks can reduce the risks involved in foreign trade and free up working capital for growth investments.
This advisory support also shows SMEs how to improve their business practices so that they are better prepared to meet local banks’ requirements
for trade finance products and are
better placed to compete locally and internationally. The EBRD also trains local consultants on how to offer small businesses dedicated trade finance advice long into the future.
SMEs represent a largely untapped reservoir of potential trade finance clients for local banks. So Trade Ready also works with these banks to help them tailor and expand their trade finance products to the needs of SMEs and market them more effectively, diversifying their trade finance portfolio in the process.
INCREASING KNOW-HOW
As well as finance, SMEs need access to know-how to improve or expand their trade activities or launch into new markets.
The EBRD helps businesses work with local consultants and international advisers from the same industry to get the right advice to develop their commercial know-how.
The Bank also helps them connect through training events and opportunities to network with important partners, such as transport and logistics companies or foreign chambers of commerce.
Trade Ready in Georgia is funded
by the European Union under its EU4Business initiative and in Serbia by the European Union and Luxembourg.l
For more information, please visit www. ebrd.com/tradeready.
You can follow us on Twitter
www.twitter.com/ebrdtrade
Join the TFP LinkedIn
networking group www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4667852
Find us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/ebrdtfp
TOP 10
FIGURES
confirming banks 2018
(as of September 2018)
Bank
1 Commerzbank
2 ING Bank
3 Unicredit
4 Citibank
5 Intesa Sanpaolo
6 ODDO BHF
7 UBS
8 KBC Bank
9 Deutsche Bank
10 CaixaBank
Country
Germany Netherlands Italy
United Kingdom Italy
Germany Switzerland Belgium Germany Spain
22,800+
TOTAL NUMBER OF TRANSACTIONS SINCE 1999