Driving SME competitiveness: strategic roadmaps to scale 9 enterprises locally and abroad
Project: Technical Assistance Facility for the Lebanese Private Sector - EuropeAid
Organization: DAI Global Austria GmbH & Co KG / European Union (EU-TAF)
Role: Senior Non-Key Expert (NKE) – ICT Business Development & Internationalisation Lead.
Collaborators: Directly supported the Technical Assistance Team (TAT), Team Leader Declan Gordon Caroll, and worked closely with Ghada Armali
Region: Lebanon
Period: June 2021 – December 2022
During a tasting session with Boutique Wineries of Lebanon, 2022
Project Focus
Providing strategic and technical support to selected SMEs in the ICT/Creative and Agrifood sectors to drive internationalization, market penetration, and business growth. I worked with 9 major client companies, including Ayadina, Nada Ghazal Fine Jewellery, Boutique Wineries of Lebanon (BWOL), Hajjar (Go Baladi), Delta Group, Cidra, Darmmess, WonderEd, and Cave des Ours.
What we aimed to solve
To help SMEs move beyond "firefighting" crisis management by providing the tools and strategies needed to transition from reactive domestic survival to proactive, well-informed international expansion.
The Context
Amidst severe domestic crises, the EU-TAF program was designed to stabilize productive sectors by deploying specialized technical assistance (TA) to bridge operational gaps and align business activities with international standards.
The Strategy
An advisory strategy centered on "Growth and Internationalisation". We used in-depth diagnostic exercises to develop iterative Roadmaps and Action Plans, ensuring that SMEs could effectively manage stakeholders, distributors, and market positioning in target regions.
The Process
The intervention followed a rigorous, evidence-based methodology :
• Situational analysis & diagnosis: conducted thorough GAP analysis and internal performance reviews.
• Market intelligence: performed primary research (satisfaction studies, consumer surveys) and secondary research to define product attributes and benchmark competition.
• Profiling & strategy: validated customer personas and identified "low-hanging fruit" opportunities.
• Tactical implementation: drafted tailored branding, marketing, and communication strategies.
• Export roadmapping: prepared international market entry plans, including value chain analysis from procurement through to export logistics.
Evidence of Impact
• Internationalization readiness: guided firms like Ayadina and Darmmess to win in export markets and secure grant funding through best-practice internationalization plans.
• Strategic equity & funding: supported Nada Ghazal Fine Jewellery with business planning for the UK Innovation Programme and equity investment negotiations.
• Stakeholder management: improved relationship management with international distributors and key retailers for companies such as Delta Group and Darmmess.
• Strategic execution: witnessed a permanent shift in the "thinking process" of management teams, moving them toward professionalized decision-making tools and long-term goal setting.
Extension
Initially contracted for a 32-day short-term assignment, the role was extended multiple times, providing 132 advisory days of input by the end of the program.
