CONSULTANCY SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMS FOR STRENGTHENING BUSINESSES IN THE KNOWLEDGE-BASED SECTOR (SBC)

Dates: 30/09/2020 – 31/01/2021

The Government of Colombia signed a loan agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to promote the exports of SBCs, among others. It was executed by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism with the support of Colombia Productiva and ProColombia, to implement the program “Support for the Internationalization and Diversification of the Colombian Economy”. One of the main activities of the program includes the implementation of sophisticated programs to strengthen businesses for companies specialized in the following SBC sectors prioritized by the National Government: i) audio-visual, ii) advertising and marketing, ii) digital animation and video games, iv) publishing and graphics services, v) software and apps, vi) architectural and engineering design, vii) value-added Business Process Outsourcing services (BPO), viii) education, ix) healthcare (telemedicine), and x) performing arts and music. Colombia Productiva is in charge of these programs.

In this context and within the framework of the loan operation for the program “Support for the Internationalization and Diversification of the Colombian Economy”, the MinCIT and Colombia Productiva, with the technical support of the IDB, will implement three programs to strengthen companies in the SBC sectors: i) Productivity program for internationalization, ii) Program of productive linkages between companies in the SBC sector and other sectors of the economy, and iii) Program to support cluster initiatives in SBC sectors. The specific support required in this consultancy will apply to the first two programs.

Based on the information provided by Colombia Productiva about intervention programs in companies, the main objectives of the consultancy are: to create methodologies for the development and implementation of Productivity programs for Internationalization and Productive Linkages between SBC Companies and Companies from Other Sectors; to design the diagnostic instruments for each program; to carry out a validation test of the diagnostic instruments in at least ten (10) companies selected in the two programs; and to formulate conclusions and recommendations for Colombia Productiva and MinCIT.