What is the JBDC Craft "Biz" Facility

The Craft "Biz" Facility is a business assistance project designed to strengthen the financial and non-financial position of enterprises with the Craft Sector in an attempt to foster growth and improve competitiveness. The project will provide customized training and handholding to thirty (30) craft producers to prepare them to manage their businesses as well as to improve their products and production processes so that they are in line with business and manufacturing best practices.

BENEFICIARIES

The major beneficiaries of this initiative are:

Craft Producers specializing in the production of fashion accessories such as Jewellery, footwear, bags etc., home accents and souvenir items

AREAS OF ASSISTANCE

The JBDC Craft "Biz" Facility is aimed at:

1. Facilitating Financing and Market Readiness through Business and Technical Support

Under this component beneficiaries will assessed to determine their training and development needs and customized training programmes will be developed to fit the needs identified. Beneficiaries will receive business trainings in areas such as Costing and Pricing, Marketing, Financial Record Keeping, Accounting etc.

They will also receive technical training on product and production processes, Product Trend, Intellectual property Rights Product and Proto-type Development etc.

The training will address some of the areas which present the most challenges for the producers when seeking to access financing.

2. Monitoring and Handholding

This will include assigning business and technical support personnel to individual beneficiaries to assist them in adopting best practices in their operations and improving the finish and quality of their products. The business and technical support personnel will also provide facilitation services for business interested in business registration, trademark registration. The Project will further assist the beneficiaries by subsidizing the cost of some of the external services where possible.

3. Facilitating Promotion and Market Access

Under this component beneficiaries will receive further technical support to build their products and brand awareness. This includes assistance with branding materials such as flyer, business cards, product catalogues. The project will also facilitate the creation of distribution linkages through events such as Trade Shows and Marketing Seminar.

IMPLEMENTATION

The project will run for one year and will be executed by the JBDC.