Category: International Business

econext is offering another iteration of the Caribbean Customized Consulting and Advisory Services for a limited number of companies. The services will be delivered between January and April 2023. Companies who are new to the Caribbean marketplace and are considering applying for econext’s Spring Trade Mission (May 2023) may find it beneficial to utilize this program for market research, strategy development and pre-mission virtual engagement.

Application Deadline has been Extended to January 11, 2023

Each participant firm/organization will benefit from the following services:

• 50 consulting hours per firm to address the unique needs of project participants. Participants will be able to select from a variety of services to generate a customized work plan of consulting service support. This support could range from mentorship and strategy development, to support with development of Expressions of Interest (EOIs) and project proposals. (See attached application form below).
• During the course of the consulting services cycle, the consultants will monitor relevant procurement portals regularly to identify and disseminate relevant Caribbean procurement opportunities to participating organizations in a timely fashion.
  

Admission criteria include:

• Clear articulation of interests and objectives in the application form
• Demonstrated completion of follow-up activities including exit surveys (for past participants in the econext/NEIA Caribbean Program)
• Export readiness
• Substantiated rationale for interest in the Caribbean region
• Commitment to necessary level of effort to execute workplan

Company participation:

This program has a limited number of spaces and requires a fair amount of commitment from companies, particularly at the outset. As such, please note the following expectations/requirements.

Companies who cannot commit to the timeline indicated below should not apply to this program.

Selected companies will be expected to:

• Complete an introductory interview and provide the consultant with a clear and concise (one-page) description of your company’s product and service offerings to enable accurate procurement opportunity identification by January 13, 2023
• Work with the consultant to develop and finalize a work plan by January 25, 2023
• Maintain regular communication during the project period
• Adhere to the workplan and schedule as agreed upon with the consultant
• Complete a detailed exit survey upon conclusion of consulting engagement to report on activities completed, outcomes and results achieved
• Companies failing to meet minimum communication criteria will forfeit their remaining consulting hours

Notes:

• This is not an “on-call” consultant advisory service. Selected companies will agree (in writing) with the consultant on a clearly defined workplan for this engagement
• Bios are available below for the team that will be delivering this consulting service. If you are interested in applying for this program but would like to have a preliminary call with the lead consultant, Amber Mackereth, to discuss your objectives prior to application, please do not hesitate to reach out.
• There is a cost of $600+HST per firm/organization, which will be invoiced upon successful admission to the program
• Applicants must be in good standing with project partners (econext, IET, ACOA)

Please download and fill out the application below. Completed applications must be sent to abbie@econext.ca by COB on Wednesday, January 11, 2023.

Download Application Form

Consulting Team

Amber Mackereth has worked closely with econext and its members on international business development initiatives in the past and has a wealth of experience and well-established networks throughout the Caribbean. She provides guidance to firms across Atlantic Canada on the subject of international business development, conducts international market research, and provides business matchmaking services for international trade missions. In addition to work experience in most of the English-speaking Caribbean, Amber has also lived in the Spanish-speaking markets of Cuba and Costa Rica. She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish. Amber has led, or played an integral role in, the successful execution of more than 20 international trade missions, including fifteen trade missions to the Caribbean region. She has worked with more than 30 of econext’s members to develop customized market entry strategies for the Caribbean region (including English, French and Spanish-speaking markets) and has prepared research reports for NEIA focused on Caribbean Blue & Green Economy initiatives (2020); opportunities and market entry tactics for Spanish-speaking Caribbean markets (2020); and Caribbean Climate Finance.

Marlene Power, International Program Officer at MI International, Marine Institute, and MI International’s lead on engagement in the Caribbean, has worked in the business, education, development, and humanitarian sectors in multiple regions of the world for over 20 years. She has secured and managed numerous international initiatives in the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, and Africa ranging from short consultancies to multi-year projects, working with a variety of clients and funders. Her experience in the Caribbean region includes projects and initiatives within the Blue and Green economy in Barbados, Grenada, Anguilla, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname across multiple sectors. In 2020, Marlene was a member of a team retained by NEIA to conduct research on Blue and Green Economy opportunities in the Caribbean Basin. Marlene has been both a participant of Trade Missions to the Caribbean as well as an organizer of various independent business development missions into the region. She is thus intimately familiar with their challenges and success factors of and brings unique perspective to the team.

Hugh Wilkinson, principal of Coral Hill LLC, is an expert in business development in emerging markets. With a focus on ‘IFI Procurement’ and the strategic pursuit of business funded by the World Bank and other IFIs, he provides end-to-end consulting in international business planning, strategic engagement, partnering, and bidding to win. His clients have included the major IFIs, foreign governments, consulting, law and technology firms, NGOs, and Canadian federal and provincial government agencies. He has been a trusted advisor and business consultant to companies like Microsoft, HP, GE, Hachette Livre, Gowlings, Dillon Consulting, and dozens of Canadian SMEs. With 30+ years’ work experience in global development, Hugh is also a specialist in the design, management, and evaluation of development projects. He has undertaken numerous market assessments throughout the English and Spanish-speaking Caribbean, led multiple project assignments in Guyana, the Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, and Belize, and maintains a broad network of contacts throughout the region. Most recently he was contracted by NEIA to conduct an in-depth analysis of markets in ten Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean and to provide related support to five NL CleanTech/OceanTech firms in developing and implementing strategic market plans in the region. He resides in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador.