Application Deadline: 26 April 2024
The Small Business Champions Competition was launched in 2021 by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the WTO Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (MSMEs). This annual competition provides an opportunity for businesses, industry associations, chambers of commerce and non-governmental organizations to propose innovative, practical ways of helping small businesses play a more active role in world trade.
Are you an organization that supports trade by Indigenous Peoples or communities? Are you a non-governmental organization that empowers small businesses and entrepreneurs from an Indigenous Community through your development work? Are you owning a small business working with or from an Indigenous community?
Launched for the first time in 2021, the World Trade Organization’s Informal Working Group of Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, together with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), with the support of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), calls for your innovative ideas that empower Indigenous Peoples’ economic development through international trade.
The winning proposals will be announced on MSME Day, 27 June 2024.
With this competition, your ideas will not only raise awareness of the difficulties Indigenous Peoples encounter when it comes to international trade but will also promote best practices in international trade, business innovation and resilience.
Requirements
- Proposals can focus on awareness-raising campaigns, competitions, capacity building, training and mentoring programmes.
- Proposals should have an obvious international trade angle. For information on past competitions and winning proposals, please see the ICC-ITC-WTO MSME Group Small Business Champions website.
- Proposals should be designed to be delivered by the entity making the proposal and should not focus on WTO negotiations, or proposed changes to WTO rules.
Award details
All awards are non-financial, and no money will be provided to participants for the project.
ITC will provide training on marketing/branding and pitching as well as offer tailored technical coaching and mentoring as needed, while ICC will provide access to an ICC Academy course. WIPO will provide access to relevant distant learning courses free of charge for representatives of Indigenous Peoples, as well as local communities.
All winning submissions will be promoted by ICC, ITC and the WTO MSME Group through their communication channels and all winners will receive a certificate.
Selection process
The selection of proposals will be carried out by representatives of the ICC, ITC, and WTO MSME team, and with the inputs of WIPO.
Winners will be announced at the WTO on MSME Day, 27 June 2024.
How to submit proposals
Proposals are open to businesses, industry associations, chambers of commerce and non-governmental organizations and should:
- detail the concept, aim, timeline and other information as appropriate
- be no longer than three (3) pages
- Have the approval and informed consent of the Indigenous Peoples group being referenced
- Optional – include a (maximum 3-minute) video shared via Wetransfer
- be sent to smallbusinesschampions@wto.org in Word or PDF format by 26 April 2024.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the ITC Call for proposals: Small Business Champions