APEC-Canada Growing Business Partnership

The APEC-Canada Growing Business Partnership is a four-year initiative jointly implemented by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat. Funded by Global Affairs Canada, this initiative helps build the potential of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to promote poverty reduction and sustainable economic growth in the APEC region.

The Partnership offers best practice tools, ideas, knowledge and critical connections derived from Canadian experience while also tailored to local APEC economies. The economies currently identified by the project are: Indonesia, Peru, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The focus areas of the Partnership aim to address key challenges faced by MSMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs from APEC developing economies in the areas of technology and innovation, market access, human capital, and social entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on cross-cutting themes of women, youth, governance and the environment.

 

 

 

 

The MSME Toolkit delivers practical ideas, addresses key challenges, and introduces relevant best practices on MSME business development to entrepreneurs in APEC developing economies through on-the-ground training with Canadian and local experts. Our goal is to enhance your competitive capacity through each of our four focus areas.

Each toolkit will help you learn more about:

  • Financing
  • Regulations and Policies
  • Human Resources
  • Marketing
  • Market Access and Exports
  • E-commerce
  • Women in Business
  • Mentorship
  • Supporting Female Entrepreneurs
  • Impact Innovation

Four Focus Area Toolkits:

(1) Vietnam: Technology and Innovation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)  The Philippines: Market Access

 

(3)  Indonesia: Human Capital

 

(4)  Peru: Social Entrepreneurship

These toolkits have been developed by experts from APF Canada. The Foundation is a not-for-profit organization focused on Canada's relations with Asia. Its mission is to be Canada's catalyst for engagement with Asia and Asia's bridge to Canada. APF Canada is dedicated to strengthening ties between Canada and Asia with focus on:

  • Expanding economic relations through trade investments and innovation; and,
  • Promoting Canada's expertise in offering solutions to Asia's climate change, energy, food security and natural resource management challenges.

APF Canada also plays a role as a bridge which exchanges and transfers technical support and capacity building from Canada to Asian nations, aiming at enhancing mutual understanding and promoting collaboration for common global goals.

As the APEC-Canada Growing Business Partnership approaches its final implementation year, the project team is organizing a capstone conference in conjunction with the launch of a capstone policy paper that synthesizes the information and research gathered from the past four years. Get the latest updates by subscribing to our newsletter: https://apfcanada-msme.ca/signup