Background

The Business Opportunities and Support Services (BOSS) Project supports the Institute for Business Support (IADE) of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs in boosting local economic development, enhancing Government service delivery and creating quality employment in rural areas by expanding market access for micro and small enterprises (MSEs), strengthening local contractors and improving the provision of business development services. The BOSS Project aims at ensuring nation-wide access to enhance and innovative needs- and market-oriented business development services through assisting IADE and its network of Business Development Centres (CDEs).

The Timorese private sector faces a myriad of impediments, including the lack of market access for products and services, the ineffective utilization of local resources or opportunities, and the limited and often ineffective involvement of civil works contractors in Government service delivery such as infrastructure works. A cause of these problems lies in the absence of the most valuable input for any economic activity: information, in particular information on business opportunities. Innovation is lacking, but innovative business ideas would help to increase viable economic activity.

IADE commit to improve business support services targeting small entrepreneurs by strengthening their staffs in delivering new services such as business coaching, business information and Business Incubation Facility.

Business Incubation Facility is designed to support entrepreneurs with innovative business and product ideas, including access to technology and technical training, access to business management support service and access to capital.

Objectives

• To introduce IADE/CDEs head of departments with new guidelines for Business Incubation Facility;
• To strengthen the assessment process of BIF potential clients;
• To strengthen the implementation of BIF business development services support; and
• To strengthen the reporting system of the BIF implementation.