WHERE DOES LED WORK?

LED works throughout Lebanon with a central office in Beirut. Regional business promotion partners will cover Beirut/Mount Lebanon, Bekaa, North, and South Lebanon. LED’s partners are The Business Incubation Association in Tripoli (BIAT) for North Lebanon and Berytech Foundation for Beirut/Mount Lebanon, Bekaa, and South Lebanon.

WHO CAN APPLY?

Any small, medium or large Lebanese business can apply for LED assistance. LED can support businesses in almost any sector, including but not limited to agriculture/agro-industry, manufacturing, healthcare, pharmaceutical, ICT/media, industry, services, tourism/ hospitality, trade, and other industries.

WHY SHOULD I APPLY?

LED may be able to assist your business to identify and solve the problems that are preventing it from growing; with a focus on helping you to increase sales to new and existing customers. LED offers customized technical assistance that is defined in partnership with you. Ideal LED “clients” are businesses that: (i) can show that with LED support they will be able to hire more Lebanese citizens; (ii) know their customers or potential customers; (iii) can be supported cost-effectively; and (iv) are willing and able to cost-share.

HOW DOES LED ASSIST BUSINESSES?

LED uses a methodology known as the buyer-led approach to guide how it delivers support and achieves impact. LED aims to help client enterprises (clients) to make deals with new and/or existing customers in final markets, whether domestic or export. As needed, LED helps clients to identify, engage, and/or organize their suppliers. Demand from the final market expressed through orders for goods or services produced by clients, fuels clients’ growth (increases sales) and can drive clients and their suppliers to hire more people. To help clients grow their sales, LED helps them to identify the problems that stand in the way of new and/or better orders and then provides customized

assistance through Lebanese or international consultants, consulting firms, or other business service providers (BSP). The types of assistance that LED offers are not pre-defined. They will be tailored to the needs of our clients. However, LED envisages that much, but not all, of the technical assistance, that it will provide will fall into the categories below

As a result of LED’s support, the project’s client enterprises, and at times their suppliers will see their sales increase. Growing sales will create a need for more labor, and stronger buyer-seller relationships will sustain enterprise growth and result in lasting and better employment opportunities.

CATEGORIES OF ASSISTANCE

• Identify new buyers/markets • Improve sales and marketing • Improve transport, logistics, and distribution • Improve/upgrade product design, packaging, and branding • Upgrade production techniques • Enhance quality control systems • Identity/organize new suppliers • Upgrade technological innovation • Access credit/finance • Improve management practices • Improve human resource development • Improve knowledge management