Vocational school in Ethiopia

    Partners in Transformation Cooperation with chambers and business associations

    Logo: Partners in Transformation | Chambers and Associations

    Dialogue between policymakers and the private sector is a key element of development cooperation. Both sides can benefit from this process, contributing their respective experience and knowledge. Business and trade associations, chambers of crafts, financial institutions and trade unions are all partners of German development cooperation. Such partners can make a major contribution to improving the economic environment in developing countries.

    The BMZ supports initiatives aimed at promoting a social market economy and fostering the establishment of organisational structures. In these partnerships, German business associations work, for example, with chambers of commerce or business associations in the partner countries of the BMZ.

    Such cooperation can be helpful in reducing red tape and in supporting the fight against corruption. Thanks to the creation of networks that provide members with information and represent their interests to outsiders, companies can boost their competitiveness and workers are better able to claim their rights.

    In January 2024, the Chamber and Association Partnership Programme (KVP), the Vocational Education and Training Partnerships Programme (BBP) and the Trade Union Partnerships Programme were subsumed under the Chambers and Associations section of the Partners in Transformation Programme. This allows the BMZ to mobilise the experience and expertise of German chambers and associations and harness them for German development cooperation and it provides a platform for direct cooperation with non-governmental players and for linking up with private-sector initiatives.

    Both the development organisation sequa and the German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation (DSIK) carry out activities in collaboration with chambers and business associations.


    Business Scouts for Development

    In dialogue with local partners

    Business Scouts for Development work at economic institutions both in Germany and abroad. These experts work on behalf of the Agency for Business and Economic Development (AWE) and are the port of call for companies that want to work in developing and emerging economies. They inform them about potentially interesting German development cooperation programmes, help them build networks with prospective business partners worldwide and show them where to find market opportunities. They also work in German Chambers of Commerce Abroad, in delegations of the German private sector and in the offices of German development cooperation.

    In Germany, they are involved in business associations, country associations, chambers of industry and commerce, chambers of crafts, foundation organisations and trade unions.

    As at: 09/04/2024