FIRMA Quarterly Report #19 - 2014

in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with funding from USAID and Sida. The project aims to support enterprise competitiveness in selected value chains of the tourism, wood, and light manufacturing sectors, with the ultimate goal of advancing the country's ability to meet the Copenhagen Economic Criteria for accession to the European Union. The FIRMA workplan is defined at the private sector value chain level, with implementing partners organizing stakeholders to identify and prioritize competitiveness obstacles through value chain analysis. FIRMA supervises and supports these activities, providing strategic and operational guidance, expert technical assistance, and grants from its $3 million Small Grants Fund. The project works closely with other donors and local government agencies that provide development assistance programs consistent with FIRMA's objectives. During the nineteenth quarter of FIRMA's operation, which spanned from March to May 2014, several noteworthy accomplishments were achieved. In the wood sector, FIRMA supported five BH companies to exhibit at the GAST 2014 fair in Split, Croatia, and four companies to jointly exhibit on a 300 m2 joint stand at the BiH Interio&Exterio Fair. FIRMA also organized a two-day design event as part of the Interio/Exterio 2014 fair, which included workshops for children and a fashion show and puppet show. In addition, FIRMA jointly organized with BH FTC/BHEPA for five furniture manufacturers to visit the Salone Internazionale del Mobile fair in Milan, and supported four BH furniture companies to visit the INDEX International Design Exhibition 2014 trade fair in Dubai. The visits aimed to help companies develop and connect to new channels of distribution in Europe and the Middle East. Furthermore, FIRMA engaged technical consultants for several companies, including IZAZOV Kalesija, Namještaj Gradačac, and MS&WOOD Fojnica, to prepare documentation and processes for implementation. The FIRMA Project has a strong focus on sustainability, working primarily through a group of key local implementing partners, known as the "FIRMA Consortium", who cover all regions of the country. The project's strategy is directed toward systemic objectives, including product design and quality, market connections, workforce expertise, and investment attractiveness. FIRMA's work is closely aligned with the goals of USAID and Sida, which are ambitious and transformational, requiring wide impact in various areas. FIRMA's implementation is led by Cardno Emerging Markets USA, Ltd., with consortium subcontractors SIPU International, JE Austin Associates, Making Cents International, Orgut Consulting AB, Pi Consulting, and 12 regional and local economic development agencies in BiH. The project's progress is closely monitored, with regular reporting and evaluation to ensure that it is meeting its objectives and making a positive impact in the target sectors.