The Dutch Business Association Vietnam (DBAV) awarded three Vietnamese businesses a total of VND425 million (US$18,139) on Thursday at the “Ready to Export Gala Dinner – East Meets West” event.

Ready to Export is a program designed to equip Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in exporting products to international markets, particularly the Netherlands and other countries in Europe.

The initiative was launched in March 2022.

Of the 150 Vietnamese companies invited to join the program, 30 made it to the individual management and networking round and 15 successfully completed the program.

During the program’s 12 months, 15 to 20 training sessions were held with participation from about 500 guests.

Some 30 mentors joined the program’s one-on-one mentoring initiative during which 300-400 conversations took place.

“What we see is that companies need hard skills. They need to know what kind of certificates they need in order to meet sanitation and hygiene regulations.

“They also need negotiation skills, English language skills, strategic management skills, and knowledge of getting products translated and ready for foreign markets, such as Europe,” said DBAV Executive Director Guido van Rooy.

At the end of the Ready to Export program, all participating enterprises submitted a business plan, expansion plan, or investment plan designed with guidance from their mentors.  

DBAV chose three plans with export capacity improvement, high execution feasibility, and export potential.

Each plan chosen may receive investment capital of up to VND250 million ($10,686).

A DABV gala dinner was held with the theme “East Meets West” – a reflection of the DBAV's commitment to bringing together the Dutch and Vietnamese business worlds.

"We are thrilled to organize this event as a celebration of the success of the Ready to Export program and to bring together the Dutch and Vietnamese business communities,” said DBAV Executive Director Guido van Rooy.

“We hope that this event will encourage more SMEs to join us and take advantage of the opportunities that international trade can bring."

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