Economic Growth Program

Accelerated Economic Growth Program Partners

USAID works with many partners to reach its accelerated economic growth strategic objective. Its main implementing partners are the following organizations:

Catholic Relief Service (CRS)
http://www.crs.org
Development of Candlenut Enterprises

CRS implements USAID’s project Development of Candlenut Enterprises in Timor-Leste. The project aims to systematically improve the competitiveness of the Timor-Leste candlenut by addressing the weaknesses in every step of the value chain, from the gathering and drying of candlenut up to the sale and transport of the finished product.

Land O’Lakes (LOL)
http://www.idd.landolakes.com
Building Agribusiness Capacity

LOL implements USAID’s project Building Agribusiness Capacity in Timor-Leste. The project focuses on: the development of one-year post high school certificate program in agribusiness; development of networked technical resource centers, and strengthening linkages between communities and schools.

Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI)
http://www.dai.com
Private-Sector Development Program/Small Grants Program

DAI manages USAID's Private-Sector Development Program that focuses on building the vital market linkages that the small and medium scale enterprises need to grow. The program supports the development of a more productive and diversified rural sector, works to increase access to and use of financial services, and generally encourages entrepreneurship. DAI also manages USAID's Small Grants Program (SGP). SGP provides USAID with a responsive funding mechanism that supports all three of USAID’s areas of strategic focus. After identifying significant funding and skills gaps around the country, SGP has worked with local partners in the schools and training institutions, NGO sector, and government to provide practical agricultural skills and lay the foundations for entrepreneurship by improving literacy, numeracy, and financial management. Youth groups also receive targeted practical skills trainings. To stimulate small enterprises, microfinance projects worth $500,000 have expanded access to credit for more than 1,000 poor women and their families across the country.

National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA)
http://www.ncba.coop

NCBA established and continues to support the Union of Coffee Cooperatives of Timor (UCCT), a federation of Timorese-owned agricultural and business cooperatives that produces and exports premium organic coffee to the world's specialty coffee market and currently provides employment to 20,000 farmers, 3,500 seasonal processing workers, and 300 full-time staff. Through its Timor Economic Rehabilitation and Development Project, NCBA also: helps UCCT introduce and support high-value niche export market commodities such as vanilla; supports small retail enterprises; supports UCCT's small business and cooperative training center and its Timor-Leste Coffee Academy; and helps farmers learn how to fatten cattle for the domestic and Indonesian markets.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
http://www.undp.org.tl

Through UNDP, USAID has funded expert advisors to help the government draft practicable economic development and investment policies and legislation that encourage the expansion of the financial sector. In the Ministry of Development, USAID has funded a senior advisor to the Minister to focus on drafting economic policies and legislation. To assist in Timor-Leste's efforts to attract international investors, USAID has funded an advisor to the government's "one-stop" foreign investment office, Trade/Invest Timor-Leste. USAID has also funded a senior economic advisor to the government's Secretary of State for Oecussi, Timor-Leste's exclave district located wholly within Indonesia's West Timor province.