Photo by Raoul Ortega on Unsplash
The EBRD and the European Union (EU) supported Soprotic, a Tunisian shoemaker to establish a business strategy and increase its exports, the EBRD informs. The company used to work mainly as sub-contractors for other brands or retailers.
The EBRD’s business advisory programme provides companies like Soprotic with the necessary know-how to grow. In Tunisia, it is funded through the European Union Initiative for Financial Inclusion.
In the case of Soprotic, the programme found an experienced expert to help the company establish a business strategy, gain additional insight into shoe modelling and improve the company’s marketing and branding.
The business advisory programme helps companies explore new opportunities by improving their marketing or accounting systems, meeting internationally recognised quality standards or exporting to new markets.
Soprotic sells its products on the European market, mainly to France (11,000 pairs annually), Italy (94,000 pairs) and Spain (118,000 pairs). Furthermore, the company sells more than 170,000 shoe uppers to European clients.
“There are many ways in which we help the economy to develop in Tunisia,” explained Antoine Sallé de Chou, Head of the EBRD’s office in Tunisia. “We provide businesses with access to finance and also with advice on how to take full advantage of export opportunities, especially on the European market. In total, our work has supported more than 1,000 businesses in the country since 2012.”
