Grant no. 520-0380-G-00-9570-00 to the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) to implement a three-year entrepreneurial development project

IESC will provide TA to 150 small and medium enterprises (SME"s) via its Volunteer Executive (VE) program, which supplies a visiting VE to train a client entrepreneur according to his or her needs; the feasibility of developing a Guatemalan VE program will be explored. IESC will also provide TA to strengthen the training and management skills of indigenous business associations, including the Chamber of Entrepreneurs, the Guatemalan Management Association, the Nontraditional Product Exporters Guild, and others. To promote new ventures and investment opportunities, IESC will establish an in-country Trade and Investment Services (TIS) unit dedicated to identifying and promoting potential collaborative ventures between Guatemalan and U.S. SME"s. The unit, working with a sister (centrally funded) TIS unit in Stamford, Connecticut, will provide venture planning assistance to Guatemalan firms and conduct outreach efforts to U.S. companies and technology suppliers. Major activities will be to: prepare specific sectoral strategies and investment promotion plans, conduct marketing and promotional activities, contact businesses, evaluate joint and co-venture potentials, and bring interested businesses together for direct discussion and detailed planning. The TIS program will utilize the research and development services of IESC"s American Business Linkage Enterprise (ABLE).