FIRMA Quarterly Report #18 - 2014 Final

in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with funding from USAID and Sida. The project's primary objective is to enhance enterprise competitiveness in selected value chains of the tourism, wood, and light manufacturing sectors. This is expected to contribute to the country's ability to meet the Copenhagen Economic Criteria for accession to the European Union. The FIRMA workplan is organized at the private sector value chain level, with implementing partners, known as Value Chain Facilitators (VCFs), identifying and prioritizing competitiveness obstacles through value chain analysis. FIRMA provides strategic and operational guidance, expert technical assistance, and grants from its $3 million Small Grants Fund to support these activities. The project works closely with other donors and local government agencies to maximize scale and impact. During the reporting period, December 2013 to February 2014, several notable accomplishments were achieved. In the wood sector, the Republika Srpska Quality Trade Fund was replenished, enabling an additional 8-10 companies to implement and obtain international quality standards. A UK buyer was sourced through the FIRMA-established UK sales agent, resulting in new sales in the UK for three BiH wood-processing companies. The logs distribution system was partially re-established in the Una-Sana Canton, and FIRMA supported eleven companies through its Qualified Technical Assistance program. The Qualified Technical Assistance program provided technical advice to companies on quality issues, product design, and technical documentation. Five companies were assisted to introduce the Forestry Standards Council Chain of Custody certificate, and a two-day training was jointly implemented with the Zenica local development agency on quality management systems and quality control requirements. The FIRMA Project's strategy is directed towards systemic objectives, including product design and quality, market connections, workforce expertise, and investment attractiveness. The project's goals are ambitious and transformational, requiring wide impact. FIRMA's implementation is led by Cardno Emerging Markets USA, Ltd., with consortium subcontractors and regional and local economic development agencies in BiH. The project's progress is monitored through Performance Management Indicators, and FIRMA works closely with collaborating implementers to maximize scale and impact. The FIRMA Quarterly Report #18 - 2014 Final provides an overview of the project's progress and achievements during the reporting period.