Know-how transfer of German Associations and Chambers
German chambers of commerce, associations, trade unions and financial institutions of the Sparkassen Finance Group are important partners of German development cooperation. The focus is on advising the organised business sector in the Development Ministry's partner countries on educational measures and financial inclusion. The aim of these measures is to strengthen the local economy and population in the long term.
An institutional partnership between the business community in Germany and in developing or emerging countries is always a strategic decision: it should be long-term and cooperative in order to transfer knowledge and improve the framework conditions in the partner countries. The Agency for Business and Economic Development supports German chambers and associations in developing ideas for future projects. The practical implementation of the projects takes place within the framework of various programmes through the non-profit development organisation sequa gGmbH and German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation.
Through the transfer of knowledge, the chambers and associations in the partner countries can better fulfill their role as representatives of the local business community and thus in turn provide more needs-based support to local companies. The internationally active member companies of the German chambers and associations also benefit from the institutional cooperation in the medium and long term: In the partner countries, structures are established, processes optimised, and services developed - In short, the framework conditions for projects and investments are improved.
KVP Programme: Partnerships for chambers, associations, trade unions and financial institutions of the Sparkassen Finance Group
In the context of the Chamber and Association Partnership Programme (KVP), the German business community cooperates with chambers and associations in partner countries. It contributes its competencies and know-how to support the development of the private sector. This is done through the institutional strengthening of local institutions - both as providers of business-related services and as stakeholders of small and medium-sized enterprises.
First and foremost, the aim is to support local chambers and, for example, to develop certain services such as trade fair promotion, vocational education and training or business start-up programmes. This enables local chambers to generate income, establish themselves sustainably and provide targeted support to their members locally.
Within the framework of the KVP, the German Sparkassenstiftung makes available the knowledge and expertise of the German Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe on financial inclusion in partner countries in order to promote local economic development through socio-ecological change and responsible entrepreneurship, thus contributing to the fulfilment of the SDGs.
The development organisation of German industry, sequa, and the German Sparkassenstiftung are implementing the Chamber and Association Partnership Programme with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
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- Organisational development of local partner organisations,
- Development of services for enterprises,
- Support in advocacy for better economic framework conditions.
Vocational Education and Training Partnerships: A Model of Practice-oriented Education and Training
The Vocational Education and Training Partnerships (BBP) aims to improve vocational education and training in cooperation countries. Practice-oriented qualification and the catering of initial and continued training to the needs of the local labour market contribute to economic development in the partner countries.
The aim of the BBP projects is to support partner countries in the sense of garnering greater participation of the local economy and higher practical orientation of initial and continued vocational education and training. To this end, the projects use the VET know-how of German chambers and associations as well as their VET institutions. These support selected partner organisations such as vocational schools, chambers and associations in introducing practice- and demand-oriented VET locally.
Here, the dual training system in Germany serves as a model that is adapted to local conditions.
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- Improving the organisational structure of vocational training institutions
- Improving training content and methods
- Introduction of practice-oriented pilot training courses in new occupational fields
- Advising partner institutions on the development of qualification and examination standards
The development organisation of German industry, sequa, implements the vocational education and training partnerships with funding from the BMZ.
Trade Union Partnerships
German trade unions can also receive funding through sequa for the implementation of their own partnership projects with trade union organisations.
Programme as part of the Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition": PartnerAfrica
The BMZ has launched the Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" with Africa's reforming countries. The aim is to strengthen the conditions for private investment and create better employment opportunities for the fast-growing, young population in Africa.
The Special Initiative is being implemented in eight African countries: Egypt, Ethiopia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia.
With the PartnerAfrica programme, the BMZ opens up the Special Initiative to projects of chambers and associations. Projects to be funded should either contribute to business-oriented vocational training, reduce investment barriers for companies or improve the advisory services offered by local chambers for companies, and should be geared towards the priority sectors and business locations of the Special Initiative as much as possible. Close cooperation with enterprises is desired.
German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Chamber of Crafts and business associations can propose projects for the new special programme PartnerAfrica. The application and implementation are carried out by sequa.
sequa gGmbH: Partner of German Economy
sequa gGmbH is a globally active, non-profit development organisation. It has been organising international cooperation programmes and projects in close cooperation with the German business community since 1991. Its shareholders are the four umbrella organisations of German business: the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA), the Federation of German Industries (BDI), the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) and the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH), and since 2010 also the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. sequa thus combines the know-how and networks of German business and German development cooperation. In the programmes, it works closely with its shareholders and their members.
The German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation
The German Sparkassenstiftung for International Cooperation is the development policy organisation of the Sparkassen Finance Group. It takes the Sparkasse model beyond regional borders into the world with the aim of providing people in partner countries with access to financial services and thus creating prospects for a way out of poverty. German Sparkassenstiftung employs more than 300 employees worldwide, 40 of whom are based in Bonn.