Activities

MarketLinked - Identification

The process of selecting the participants in the MarketLinked Programme involves several stages.

In selecting the putative participants, emphasis is placed on the companies’ ability to:

  •  Respond to market opportunities, enhancing their relationship with the market.

  •  Enhance their role in the value chain.

  •  Increase competitiveness.

  •  Increase productivity.

  •  Develop and maintain appropriate quality standards and management systems.

  •  Increase their share of value-added production.

  •  Develop production in the context of market orientated and commercial strategies.

  •  Increase management effectiveness and technical capacity within the company.

  •  Increase managers’ knowledge and expertise.

  •  Generate new systems to undertake more effective technologically based growth.

  •  Run an ethically sound business.

Nominated SMEs will be established companies – not start-ups.  They will include both active and emerging exporters but would not include microenterprises.

Screening of nominated companies

Each of the putative participants will be met in a semi-structured interview process.  The objectives and modalities of MarketLinked will be explained.  The potential benefits of participation will be outlined as will the company obligations, e.g. making a financial contribution.  Companies will be asked if they are interested in principle in participating.  If so they will be asked a series of questions covering:

    *   Nature of business

    *   Turnover and trends.

    *   Employment and trends.

    *   Profitability and trends.

    *   Export history and profitability.

    *   Availability of business plan, management accounts, etc.

    *   Competitiveness issues  

    *   Export plans.

    *   Target markets. A small number of regional options will be provided.

    *   Capacity utilisation and expansion plans.    

    *   Production bottlenecks.  

    *   Age of plant.  

    *   Quality management systems.  

    *   Market knowledge.  

    *   Staff and management skills.  

    *   Quality certification.  

    *   ICT status.  

    *   Role of IT in the business.  

    *   Business ethics.

    *   General constraints.

 The process will be conducted through a formal mechanism and checklist.