CONTENT, RULES & REGULATIONS
MARKETING SUPPORT PROGRAM
TRADE FOR DEVELOPMENT CENTRE,
a program of the Belgian Development Agency
1. CONTEXT AND REASON WHY
The Trade for Development Centre (TDC), a program of the Belgian development agency (BTC), fights
poverty by supporting producers and producer organisations in their economic and social development.
TDC aims to improve the market access (be it local, regional or international markets) of organisations
engaged in Fair or Sustainable Trade.
Through its marketing support, TDC wants to strengthen the organisational capacities in strategic
marketing, communication & sales. In this context we launch a new call for applications for TDC’s
marketing coaching program. Deadline for submitting the full application is October 14th 2016.
2. WHO CAN APPLY?
The current call is limited to:
 small producers’ organisations or collector organisations (= producer cooperatives or producer
associations)
or
micro, small and medium enterprises, being owned in majority by one or more small producers’
organisations
 trading one of the following products: fruits, vegetables or legume plants, medicinal and/or
aromatic plants, nuts, rice, coffee or cocoa;
 trading products under so called “Fair and sustainable trade” conditions1;
 located in one of the following countries: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, DR Congo,
Guinea, Ivory Coast (cocoa producers only), Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Palestinian
Territory, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda or Vietnam;
 and having a legal status since at least 2 years.
If the organisation/enterprise currently has a partnership with a Belgian organisation involved in
development cooperation (NGO, universities, trade unions,...), the support cannot be requested for
activities similar to those being financed through that Belgian organisation.
Please provide an up-to date certificate, proof of membership or proof of being in the process of getting certified, issued
by any of the Fair Trade certification bodies (FLO-Cert, WFTO, ECOCERT, IMO, FairWild or Naturland), by members of the
ISEAL Alliance or, in the case of organic agriculture, by government-accredited certification bodies or by national umbrella
organisations. A copy of a sales contract with a member of a European Fair Trade Network is also a valid proof.
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Call for application - Content, rules & regulations - Marketing Support 2016-2017
Trade for Development Centre
If the organisation already benefits from TDC’s marketing support program launched in 2014 and 2015, it
is not eligible.
3. PRESENTATION OF TDC’S SERVICE PROPOSAL
 TAILORMADE MARKETING COACHING IN STRATEGIC MARKETING,
PROMOTION & SALES (2017)
TDC’s marketing support is built on a tailor-made coaching program in strategic marketing aiming at
transferring simple, structured and professional marketing know-how to the organisation.
It covers all marketing phases: internal & external marketing analysis; definition of a strategy, target,
positioning; formulation of the marketing mix; facilitation of promotion & communication; facilitation of
prospection of new customers.
The support that TDC wants to offer is unbiased and neutral. The producer’s best benefit is the starting
point of the reflexion. The support is not oriented to specific markets. It focuses on preparing producers to
face the markets that they target.
The benefiting organisation is the driver behind the coaching program and the owner of its content and
strategic choices. At no stage the assigned consultant-coach, nor TDC will substitute themselves to the
organisation by taking over its responsibilities or by implementing action plans or by executing its
marketing, sales & communication activities. Assigned coach and TDC will operate as facilitators and
advisers. The training takes place at the premises of the organisation.
CONTENT OF THE COACHING PROGRAM
MODULE 1: strategic marketing
Duration:
6 days tailor made coaching per organisation, of which 1 day coaching can be from distance.
Content:
 Marketing screening of the organisation: internal analysis of the actual product offer, packaging
and labelling, price strategy, customer portfolio & sales channels, promotion & communication
activities and tools
 Analysis of main competitors & identification of the competitive advantages of the organisation
 Definition of target and strategic positioning
 Formulation of marketing mix
 Formulation of a prospection plan
MODULE 2: promotion & sales
Duration:
5 days tailor made coaching per organisation, of which 1 day coaching can be from distance.
Content:
Sales:
 How to approach a buyer: development of a presentation, ready to be translated into a digital
document that can be easily sent by e-mail
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Call for application - Content, rules & regulations - Marketing Support 2016-2017
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 Preparation of a sales-book/sales-map
Promotion:
 Screening of actual promo and communication material + discussion on potential improvements
and new ways of communicating
 How to brief an agency: development of the message and content for a web-page, like a blog or
other communication tools and material
PHASES OF THE COACHING PROGRAM
The content, methodology and timeline of the coaching program will be finalised once the actual level in
marketing management of the benefiting organisations has been evaluated. The speed of progress of each
benefiting organisation will also influence the process and its duration.
The program is split up into different phases, as shown below, and can take 1 year for the whole
implementation.
 FUNDING AFTER FIRST COACHING MODULE: A MARKETING BUDGET OF
15.000€
After the first coaching module, the organisation gets the possibility to hand-in a marketing budget
proposal. The budget proposal is specifically dedicated to expenditures related to the implementation
of the marketing plan. This has to be seen as an incentive for the organisation to implement the
marketing mix, develop professional promotional and communication material, and implement sales &
prospection activities.
All type of expenditures linked to the marketing mix and implementation of a marketing & sales plan
are eligible, like for example promotion and communication material and/or tools ; web page ; video ;
design of product labels ; design of product line ; product pictures ; sales book ; etc.
The marketing budget will not cover costs of employees/staff of the organisation.
The marketing budget proposal will have been redacted together with, or at least revised by the
marketing coach assigned to the organisation.
PROCESS OF ALLOCATION
Organisations having successfully gone through the first module are allowed to hand in a marketing
budget proposal to TDC. The maximum amount granted won’t exceed 15.000€, VAT included.
Once accepted by TDC, BTC will pre-pay 60% of the budget. The final 40% will be paid on the basis
of invoices and pieces of evidence for the full budget amount.
Invoices and pieces of evidence for the full budget will be provided before December 15th 2017 at the
latest.
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Call for application - Content, rules & regulations - Marketing Support 2016-2017
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4. CONTRIBUTION & COMMITMENT REQUIRED FROM THE BENEFITING
ORGANISATION
The benefiting organisation commits itself to:
 provide the internal business information, data and key-figures being essential for a proper internal
analysis and being the basics for a pertinent commercial strategy
 actively contribute to collecting external market information, and possibly contribute to market
research and product testing
 appoint a person responsible for the whole marketing support within the organisation
 appoint 2 to 3 key persons participating to the coaching program: these persons are responsible for
the commercial development of the organisation in the short, medium and/or long term and they are
members or employees of the organisation
 provide: NAME - first name - function - telephone number - e-mail for each person that will attend the
training & coaching program
 facilitate and ensure that above candidates participate to the whole coaching process
 ensure that the candidates conduct research and analyses as requested prior to the coaching
sessions and that they implement the action plans
 ensure an efficient and transparent management of the marketing budget that is put at its disposal,
and submit the pieces of evidence in accordance with the modalities laid down in the convention
signed between the TDC and the benefitting organisation/enterprise
 take care of the practical organisation of the coaching days (venue/office)
 foresee, entirely at its charge, refreshments/drinks during the coaching sessions
 provide assistance in logistics, transports and accommodation of the assigned coach (by this we
understand: recommend an itinerary, a transport company, recommend an accommodation, possibly
make a reservation in the name of the coach,...). But these costs (transports and accommodation) will
entirely be paid by the TDC/coach.
All the information provided by the benefiting organisation/enterprise will be kept confidential.
If the coach notices there is little or no progress made during and after the coaching sessions, the
organisation/enterprise will accept that sessions planned at a later stage are cancelled by TDC and that it
can under no circumstance call on the marketing budget of 15.000€.
5. EVALUATION OF APPLICATION FORMS & SELECTION
On the basis of the application form and annexed documents submitted by the organisation, TDC’s jury
will select the beneficiaries for the marketing coaching program.
TDC’s independent jury will assess the applications, in accordance with the following evaluation criteria:
 Accuracy in providing the information demanded in the application form
 Entrepreneurial dynamism
 Development relevance
 Economic growth potential
 Financial sustainability of the organisation
TDC may ask for additional information or may ask to complete lacking data and figures.
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Call for application - Content, rules & regulations - Marketing Support 2016-2017
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6. SUBMIT THE APPLICATION FOR THE COACHING PROGRAM BY OCTOBER 14th
2016
All candidates need to send by e-mail the application form as well as the accompanying documents
that are listed in the application form point VI to [email protected] AND
[email protected] by October 14th 2016 at the latest.
ANNEX 1 - APPLICATION FORMS
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Call for application - Content, rules & regulations - Marketing Support 2016-2017
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