The new ASCAME’s webinar Empowering Mediterranean SMEs through Donor Funded Market Access celebrated on the 9th of July let our members know a bit more about the benefits they can obtain from the partnership signed with DevelopmentAid at the beginning of 2024. Both parties were committed to working together in providing information of financial opportunities, grants, jobs and more for supporting economic and social development initiatives and bilateral and economic cooperation in the Mediterranean. ASCAME’s new partner is the world’s premier information service provider for international development aid and economic and humanitarian assistance stakeholders.
As a result of this collaboration agreement, both institutions organized this webinar with the aim of giving all the details about DevelopmentAid’s platform, which provides information and services for the international development community. The event showcased this complete platform and the wealth of resources and opportunities available to SMEs in the Mediterranean region through donor-funded markets, aiming to foster sustainable development and growth.
The session was conducted by Ms. Mariana Uzun, Head of Strategic Partnership and Donor Relations at DevelopmentAid, who explained all the tools of the platform that can find ASCAME’s members as well as all the business and investment opportunities that they have: “Within our platform you can find all you need to know to become successful in the international development. We provide information on donors and financial institutions, tenders and grants, potential partners, short and long-term opportunities, jobs, news, and so much more”. She added: “At DevelopmentAid we are familiar with the challenges you encounter in the development sector. Whether you are searching for funding opportunities, partners and experts or interested in securing a job in the sector, we are ready to provide you with the most innovative business intelligence and career aid tools to assist you at every step of your way”.
Ms. Uzun started talking about the individual services accessible to ASCAME’s members:
- Job search: The platform explores hundreds of job opportunities in various fields and locations related to international development. It can be filtered by organization, job, type, experience, deadline and more. “We have and extensive database which is so useful whether you are looking for consortia partners or high-quality CVs for your projects or if you are looking for a permanent job position or project”.
- Profile exposure: Customizing the own resume highlighting skills and experience.
- Competitor analysis: Getting insights into other consultants and companies in the sector.
- Tender and Grants alerts: Staying informed about funding opportunities.
- Expert fee rates: Comparing consultant rates.
- Country strategic documents: accessing strategic country documents.
- Procurement guidelines: information on procurement of goods, works, and services.
Apart from this. DevelopmentAid offer a wide range of services to organizations. These are some examples:
- Funding opportunities: Finding partners, experts and project opportunities.
- Market and landscape analysis: The platform offers innovative business intelligence tools to help their users making better decisions along the biding process.
- Past project experience: Evaluation other organisations’ experience.
- Calls for partnerships: Finding partners for consortia.
- Advertising and search tools: Promoting projects and search for partners.
- Tender and grant documents: Accessing relevant documents.
Finally, Ms. Uzun talked about funding agencies: “DevelopmentAid offers the largest and most diverse network of funding and implementing agencies, including development banks, financial institutions, multilateral and bilateral donors, government agencies, foundations, and NGOs. We will help you stay up-to-date with donors’ strategy plans and enable you to diversify and secure your portfolio of funding sources through loans, tenders and grants”.
ASCAME’s cooperation projects
Within the webinar, we also counted with the participation of Mr. Luis Miranda, ASCAME’s Project Manager, who presented the instruments for European, Mediterranean and international cooperation and also the ASCAME members’ network cooperation projects. Mr. Miranda presentation focused on the EU programmes that funds projects to foster cooperation across Mediterranean regions and countries. One good example implemented in the Northern shore of the Mediterranean is the Interreg Euro-MED Programme (2021-2027), in which ASCAME participates through the Dialogue4Tourism project. This programme cooperation, which has a budget of €294 millions, includes 69 regions of 14 countries and aims to make the Mediterranean region smarter and greener and improve the governance between its stakeholders. Four missions have been identified: Strengthening an innovative sustainable economy, protecting, restoring and valorising the natural environment and heritage, promoting green living areas, and enhancing sustainable tourism.
Regarding the EU-cooperation initiatives launched in the Southern Neighborhoud of the Mediterranean, ASCAME’s Project Manager highlighted the new Agenda for the Mediterranean (2021-2027) -a green, digital , and recovery in agreement with the EU Green Deal and the 2030 Agenda for SDGs and the Paris Agreement- which has 5 main goals: Human development, good governance and the rule of law; resilience, prosperity, and digital transition, peace and security; migration and mobility; and green transition (climate change and decrease emissions). To this regard, Mr. Miranda pointed out some relevant projects co-financed by EuropeAid, such as EBSOMED (2018-2023) -with a budget of €6,25 million to enhancing business support organisations and business networks in the Southern Neighbourhood- and SwitchMed (2013-2018) -with a budget of €24 million to supporting transition to a circular economy in this region-.
However, Mr. Miranda highlighted the Interreg Next MED Programme (2021-2027) as “the best example of cross-border cooperation both in the Northern and Southern of the Mediterranean”. The EU Programme, with a total budget of €253 million, brings together 15 countries and more than 100 eligible territories towards a smarter, greener, more inclusive, and better governed Mediterranean region. Its main mission is to foster transnational cooperation across the Mediterranean region by strengthening joint initiatives in key areas such as economic development, environmental sustainability, education and social inclusion, as well as multi-level governance.
Finally, the ASCAME speaker referred to EU research and innovation funding programme Horizon Europe 2021-27, which succeeds Horizon 2020 -which was the biggest EU research and innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion- and counts with a budget of €100 billion. The main challenges are: Adaptation to climate change including societal transformation, cancer, climate-neutral and smart cities, healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters, and soil health and food.
➡ Contact us to become a beneficiary of special discounts and gain access to many opportunities and resources in international development through DevelopmentAid! 👉 secretariat@ascame.org