Apec Business Activator Tender

Project No.
CTI_02_2025S
Project Title
APEC Business Activator Program for Women-Led SMEs to Access Global Markets
Project Status
Project in Implementation
Fund Account
Self-Funded
Project Year
2025
Sponsoring Forum
Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI)
Topics
Trade Facilitation; Women’s Empowerment
Committee
Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI)
Other Fora Involved

Other Non-APEC Stakeholders Involved

Proposing Economy(ies)
Australia
Co-Sponsoring Economies
Canada; Chile; Malaysia; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Chinese Taipei; Viet Nam
Expected Start Date
01/01/2025
Expected Completion Date
31/12/2028
Project Proponent Name 1
Katherine Vouzas
Job Title 1
Assistant Director AGS
Organization 1
Department of Foreign Affairs Trade
Postal Address 1
Not Applicable
Telephone 1
Not Applicable
Fax 1
Not Applicable
Email 1
katherine.vouzas@dfat.gov.au
Project Proponent Name 2
Not Applicable
Job Title 2
Not Applicable
Organization 2
Not Applicable
Postal Address 2
Not Applicable
Telephone 2
Not Applicable
Fax 2
Not Applicable
Email 2
Not Applicable
Declaration
Katherine Vouzas
Project Cost (US$)
$100,000.00
Project Summary
APEC economies have prioritised women’s economic empowerment and recognised the importance of supporting women to access global markets. The La Serena Roadmap for Women and Inclusive Growth lays out several action areas including ‘advancing women’s economic empowerment through access to capital and markets’. This project aims to build on Australia’s previous initiatives addressing how trade promotion organisations can assist women led business grow globally. In particular this project will build on the successful pilot business activator program to support up to 21 women-led SMEs across APEC to access global markets delivered in 2023-24. Like the pilot, this project will be open to all APEC economies, and efforts will be taken to ensure broad geographic coverage of participants in the selection process, in line with selection criteria. Participants from ODA-eligible economies will be funded to participate in the program. Participants from non-ODA eligible economies will be able to participate in the in-person component of the program on a self-funded basis. The program will provide online and face to face capacity building content of how to ‘activate’ a globally-oriented business and tailored content to address the identified needs of participants.