CBI’s Export Coaching Project on Home Decoration & Home Textiles

Invest in your future by exporting Home Decoration and Home Textiles (HDHT) to the European Union!

You own or operate a small and medium-size company (SME) that manufactures Home Decoration and Home Textiles (HDHT) products. You are based in Bangladesh and you export your products to Europe - or have the ambition to do so. You want to learn; you want to grow! You could use a little help!

If this sounds what you wish for, our Export Coaching Project may be just what you are looking for. We are CBI, the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries, and we would like to help you establish a solid position as an exporter to Europe.

Project details

The project starts in 2019 and will end in 2023. During the value chain selection and analysis phase we conducted an in-depth research on the HDHT sector. There is a strong trend in the Western world of striving for individuality and originality. The interest in new, more eco-friendly products and the increasing number of Western tourist attracted by the Southeast Asian culture are important trends that fit well to the supply potential of Bangladesh. This creates great opportunities for producers of HDHT in Bangladesh. The main goal of this CBI project is to help the HDHT sector in Bangladesh to improve its export position on the European market by taking away export marketing related bottlenecks.

What can you expect from CBI’s Export Coaching Project HDHT Bangladesh?

Coaching and training by different international and local sector specialists on subjects like:

• Multi-year coaching and training on export capacity building by highly qualified CBI experts.
• Assistance with developing your company’s specific Europe market strategy.
• Assistance in what certification is suitable for your market entry strategy and coaching to obtain the certification you need.
• Assistance with the implementation of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR).
• Participation in suitable European trade fair(s).
• Participation in a European market orientation mission.
• Market testing of your products.
• Training on market consolidation after the trade fairs and export marketing mission.

What do we expect from our participants?

• A pro-active and flexible attitude.
• Commitment to the activities and external coaching throughout the project.
• Commitment and sufficient time investment to the tailor-made-action plan for your company.
• Willingness and ability to invest in your company and in international market entry, both in terms of staff allocation and in necessary adaptations of your products, production and export marketing. This concerns, among others, part of the costs of the trade fair participation which are not covered by CBI and its partners like the cost of travelling, lodging, sending samples etc). More detailed estimation of investment required will be discussed with the company during the company assessment/selection phase since this is company specific.

Who can apply?

CBI’s ECP HDHT Bangladesh is targeted at HDHT companies in Bangladesh that are interested and have the capacity to export to Europe. Eligible products for this project are handmade products made of natural and/or recycled materials including basketry; shopping bags and totes; rugs and mats; and decorative home textiles. Materials: (mixtures of) jute, grasses, cotton including waste and recycled materials from the garments industry.

Company requirements

You can apply for this programme if your company meets these requirements:

• The company is at least 51% locally owned.
• From five to 500 employees. When you have in-house production, the company should have at least 25 employees.
• No joint venture with a company based in a country with a classification of UMIC or higher.
• Compliance or the willingness to comply with European market requirements.
• No licensing commitments that prohibit or limit export possibilities of products to Europe.
• Competitive prices and sufficient production capacity.
• Management is able to communicate in English.
• Willingness and capacity to invest in adaptations of, for instance, product assortment and production processes, if and as required by the European market.
• No commitment fee has to be paid.

How to enrol in the project?

If your company complies to the above mentioned CBI selection criteria and you are interested to join this CBI project, please duly fill in the application form for CBI’s Export Coaching Project on Home Decoration and Home Textiles Bangladesh and send it to consumer@cbi.eu.

Experiences from a previous CBI ECP HDHT Bangladesh

CBI carried out an Export Coaching Project in the HDHT sector in Bangladesh which finished in 2017. Bangladesh is well known for growing a wide variety of natural fibres. The nine Bangladeshi companies who participated in CBI’s Export Coaching Project for sustainable home decoration all work with these materials from renewable sources: palm leaf, seagrass, jute, water hyacinth, silk, date leaf and hemp. These versatile raw materials have many applications: as the basic material for baskets and rugs, as an accent in handwoven fabrics and as the basis for beautiful accessories. Each of the companies in this Export Coaching Project has managed to create its own signature style collection, marrying traditional skills with contemporary influences. For products that appeal now and in the future!

Participating companies, for example:

Contact

Should you have questions on any aspect of the project, please send your email to consumer@cbi.eu. We would love to welcome you in CBI’s Export Coaching Project on Home Decoration and Home Textiles Bangladesh!