Deadline: 8 September 2017
The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) is currently seeking proposals for its Research Grant program “Market Access for Micro- Small-, and Medium-size Entrepreneurs (MSMEs) in APEC Developing Economies” to strengthen ties between Canada and Asia with a focus on expanding economic relations through trade, investment and innovation; promoting Canada’s expertise in offering solutions to Asia’s climate change, energy, food security and natural resource management challenges; building Asia skills and competencies among Canadians, including young Canadians; and, improving Canadians’ general understanding of Asia and its growing global influence.
Topic Areas
- Tariff and/ or non-tariff barriers (NTBs);
- Cross-border regulations pertaining to financial market regulations and other regulatory domains;
- Intellectual property (IP);
- SME access to traditional and/or Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) systems;
- MSME preparedness to internationalization and national support programs;
- Government trade missions, export support programs, and/or trade representatives abroad;
- The role of business associations and chambers of commerce;
- E-commerce;
- Market intelligence (i.e. marketing, branding, etc.);
- Visa-entry and other related issues;
- Multilateral trade organizations and initiatives (i.e. APEC, WTO, Pacific Alliance etc.);
- Bilateral and free-trade agreements (TPP-11, RCEP, etc.);
- Telecommunication and information technology (IT) infrastructure;
- Transportation and shipping;
- Internationalized infrastructure for financial markets, advisory services, information access; Telecommunication, IP rights, etc.;
- Solutions for women-owned MSMEs to access markets
Grant Information
The research grant is valued at CAD $18,000, which will be given in two installments linked to the final deliverable (the first valued at $7,000 upon signing the contract, the second valued at $11,000 upon submission of the final report). An itemized budget is not required in the proposal.
Eligibility Criteria
Individual researchers and/or institutions who are the nationals of APEC economies are eligible to apply.
Selection Criteria
- Preference will be given to proposals that address new and as yet under-research topics related to MSMEs and market access. The proposals should have the potential to generate findings that have strong policy and business relevance (i.e. the focus is on current issues, solutions-oriented, and generate actionable recommendations).
- In addition, preference will be given to researchers and/or institutions that have research/organizational experiences in any of the four focus economies (Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia and Peru).
How to Apply
Proposals should be submitted via email at the address given on the website.
Eligible Countries: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, The Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, The United States, Viet Nam
For more information, please visit Call for Proposals.