This call for applications is addressed to SMEs and tech startups in the ICT sector.
The West African Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP), funded by the European Union, aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the West Africa region and enhance the integration of ECOWAS and UEMOA Member States into the regional and international trading system.
Alongside the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) are the implementing agencies of the regional component of the WACOMP programme.
The WACOMP seeks to increase regional integration amongst the 15 ECOWAS countries as well as Mauritania by capitalizing on growth opportunities and strengthen product competitiveness in selected value chains:
- Textile and garments
- Mango and cassava
- Information and Communication Technology (IT or tech sector).
Benefits for your company
By applying to this call, you will have access to:
- Diagnostic of your company export potential
- Online and offline training on export promotion and the development of business plans
- Online and offline training on the preparation and follow-up to B2B meetings & trade fairs (inclusive of training certificates)
- Visibility for your company across the ECOWAS market and abroad
- Support to attend the WEST AFRICA CONNECT 2021 & 2022: The first regional B2B event will tentatively take place in November 2021 and will focus on the textile/garment and ICT sectors. The second one will take place in 2022 and will focus on the mango/cassava and ICT sectors. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the modalities of the events (virtual, physical or hybrid) will be determined in the next coming months.
Eligibility criteria
Your company must be:
- Headquartered and registered in one of the ECOWAS/UEMOA countries or Mauritania
- An Information Technology (IT) Company specialized in Enterprise Software, Mobile Applications, IT training services or an IT Enabled Services (ITES)/Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Company, or a digital technology startup with a focus on agritech, or textile & garments
- Equipped with a website or online webpage
Export ready companies that have already experienced in working with clients outside their own country are warmly encouraged to participate.
Applications from youth-owned/led and women-owned/led companies are also highly encouraged.
Companies/start-ups that provide incorrect information in the call for applications might be excluded from the selection process.
Selection process
The submitted information will be assessed by the WACOMP team and experts.
The deadline for applications is Tuesday 4 May at midnight.
If you have questions or want to report problems with the form, please contact Martin Labbé at labbe@intracen.org or Haifa Ben Salem at hsalem@intracen.org
Application
To apply, visit
- ICT SMEs and Tech Startups questionnaire (English): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdZImOgYrWN6qbFbwLSShn7raXBMTvJseTJ4iwGpOE-CfaJ1A/viewform
- ICT SMEs and Tech Startups questionnaire (French): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWNAEX6I5iUM5q-CoaxCyK7MJBlDvfCl5pE6yJu9RMG9wrCg/viewform
