Export Bahrain launches its new ‘Startup Exporter Solution’

11 May 2021

Export Bahrain, a key initiative of the Kingdom’s national SME Development Board, has launched its latest Startup Exporter support solution designed to help and encourage Bahrain based businesses to initiate their first exports to new markets across the globe. Its core objective is to introduce new exporters into the market and support SMEs to tap into new diversified business opportunities by providing access to incentive-based grants to overcome initial liquidity challenges faced by first time exporters.

The Startup Exporter solution targets first-time exporters serving startups, SMEs and micro-businesses that are exporting abroad for the first time or existing exporters that are exporting a new service and product lines.
The solution will allow prospective exporting businesses to present and package their plans to Export Bahrain and where they will be evaluated for eligibility towards small grants covering up to 20% of the initial value of their first export transaction.

The Startup Exporter initiative is part of Export Bahrain’s growing and diversified portfolio of leading services and solutions that will accelerate the growth of SME exports, which include: provision of export credit insurance facilities, internalization and export advisory, export tendering, international retail buyer initiative, export shipping and logistics, export facilitation and deal support, export market intelligence and more.

All first-time exporters are entitled to utilize Export Bahrain’s various offerings and services which are all tailored to meet their exporting needs, assisting Bahrain based small and medium-sized businesses in planning their international exporting strategies and succeed in today’s global marketplace by growing internationally in a sustainable way.

Commenting on this new initiative, H.E. Zayed R. Alzayani Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and Chairman of the SME Development Board stated: “Introducing new exporters into the market through the Startup Exporter solution is a critical component of our national strategy to attract more international buyers to small and medium businesses. Initiatives such as this will serve to incentivize companies to explore new market opportunities and attract global buyers to products and services in Bahrain while helping to accelerate their growth. We are hopeful that initiatives such as this will create new opportunities for Bahrain based businesses as they globalize their business models and seek to promote their products on a national level in the global marketplace.”

For her part, Ms. Safa Abdulkhaliq, Export Bahrain Acting Chief Executive Officer added: “Our latest solution is designed to encourage exporters to initiate their first export transaction and in the same time to cover the necessary overheads required for the cost associated with that. This package is an extension of our innovative set of offerings aimed at easing the export challenges to all Bahrain based startups, SMEs and micro-businesses, which will support in enhancing Bahrain’s exports around the globe and support new opportunities to access global buyers. We are firmly committed to nurturing businesses and their ability to promote their products and services to global buyers while ensuring that we continue to invest in the best solutions that can achieve tangible results that will accelerate their growth. We encourage businesses to explore these opportunities with us and where we can provide catered solutions for their exporting requirements.”

For more details about the new initiative and other services and solutions, please visit our website export.bh or email us on: info@export.bh or visit us at our head office at the Harbour Gate – 5th Floor – Bahrain Financial Harbour.