On May 17, 2021 in Nur-Sultan within the framework of the “Creation of opportunities for cross-border e-commerce” component of the Ready4Trade Central Asia project, a training module for entrepreneurs was held on the topic “Creation and optimization of e-commerce content”. The project participants received training on content creation, product positioning and learned the basics of SEO optimization. The training also included a subject photography masterclass for future marketplace placement and one-on-one coaching with a coach.
The Ready4Trade Central Asia project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Trade Center (ITC). The main partners in the implementation of the project in Kazakhstan are the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan and QazTrade JSC.
The project is designed for 4 years (2020 – 2023) and aims to support the development of intraregional and international trade of the five Central Asian countries and remove regulatory and procedural barriers to trade, namely: strengthening the capacity of enterprises to comply with trade formalities and standards, improving cross-border e-commerce, and increasing opportunities for women-led businesses to participate in international trade.
The Ready4Trade project consists of 4 components:
1 – “Consideration of trade barriers in relation to selected intraregional and external trade flows”
2 – “Strengthening the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to comply with cross-border requirements”
3 – “Creating opportunities for cross-border e-commerce”
4 – “Expanding Opportunities for Women’s Participation in International Trade”
The training involved 8 national business trainers who were previously trained as part of trainings for trainers. In total, 45 Kazakhstani companies were selected within the framework of the e-commerce component in various sectors: the production of clothing and textiles, food and beverages, as well as handicraft products. Moreover, trainers accompany and advise enterprises throughout the entire project implementation period until May 2022. This includes individualized mentoring of each SME, assistance in improving existing business development concepts, and exclusive access to international expertise for additional support and exchange of business practices.