2. Information for Dutch Companies

4.3 Development Cooperation Matchmaking facility

1. Serious companies in developing countries are often on the lookout for reliable business partners abroad. The Development Cooperation Matchmaking facility puts those companies in touch with Dutch businesses operating in the same sector.

What is the Development Cooperation Matchmaking facility?

Serious companies in developing countries are often on the lookout for reliable business partners abroad. The Development Cooperation Matchmaking facility puts those companies in touch with Dutch businesses. The goal is to stimulate joint investment in your country.

What are the target countries?

The Development Cooperation Matchmaking facility is available to companies in your country and in more than 40 other countries in Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

How does it work? 

• Your application

You must submit a proposal for cooperation with a Dutch company to the Dutch Embassy in your country. You must use a special form to do so (see the next paragraph).

• Suitability check

The Embassy will consult with its local network to assess your proposal. Only proposals that receive a positive assessment will be sent on to EVD. Furthermore, proposals must be clearly formulated and well substantiated before being taken into consideration.

• Your Dutch match

EVD, a Dutch government agency that provides support to businesses working in the international arena, will start identifying Dutch businesses that match your companys profile.

• Cooperation initiation, hiring a consultant

If a suitable match is found, you will receive a voucher worth EUR 5,000. You can use the voucher to hire a Dutch consultant who will help you explore and define the cooperative effort between you and your Dutch business partner. The consultants duties include arranging a visit for your company to the Netherlands and developing a joint action plan. All travel and accommodation expenses related to your companys visit are your responsibility.

• Evaluation

A half year after the visit, the consultant will conduct an evaluation to determine if the activities have resulted in a basis for further cooperation.

What is EVD?

EVD runs the Development Cooperation Matchmaking facility on behalf of the Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation.

Interested?

Would you like to be put in touch with a company in the Netherlands to mutually set up and run a solid project? Would you like more information about the Development Cooperation Matchmaking facility? Please contact the Economic Section of Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Dhaka. DHA-EA@minbuza.nl.

2. MATCHMAKING FACILITY INTAKE FORM

Please read the instructions carefully before filling in the form.

Please note that this completed form can only be submitted in digital format at the Dutch Embassy . Send email to dha-ea@minbuza.nl. To download this form, please click here

Instructions

Background Matchmaking Facility

• The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (development cooperation, www.minbuza.nl) launched a Matchmaking Facility for companies in developing countries in 2007.

• The aim of this facility is to match local companies, registered and based in the concerning country, with Dutch companies to attract investments to these countries.

• The matchmaking activities should result in cooperation between the local company and Dutch company with the long term goal of a joint investment. This could be a risky pilot-investment financed partly by PSOM (www.evd.nl/psom), but could also be a regular investment in an existing business.

Who can participate?

• Only small and medium sized enterprises in the private sector are eligible for this Matchmaking Facility.

Parties involved

• The Matchmaking Facility will be jointly accommodated by the EVD and Dutch Embassies in participating countries. The EVD is a Dutch based agency of The Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs (www.evd.nl).

• In a later stage, consultants selected by the EVD will assist local companies in contacting Dutch companies.

From first idea to match in 5 steps

1. The first step is to fill in this intake form by computer and to send it to the local Dutch Embassy. Please do so in English. Mail the completed form to dha-ea@minbuza.nl.

2. The Dutch Embassy will screen your intake form and will contact you to ask further questions. The Embassy may also invite you for an intake interview. Only those intakes for which the screening has a positive outcome will be sent to the EVD for actual matchmaking.

3. Based on your request , the EVD will start identifying Dutch companies.

4. Only in case possible contacts can be identified, you willl be offered a voucher of EUR 5,000 by the EVD. This amount can be used to hire a consultant company, from a list provided by the Dutch Embassy, to establish a contact between you and potential Dutch partners. The consultant will undertake the following activities:
   a/ write a quick scan about the sector in your country for the interested Dutch companies
   b/ arrange a program for you to visit the interested Dutch companies. All travel costs will be paid for by you. They are not covered by the voucher.
   c/ draw up a follow up plan

5. Six months after the visit program has taken place, the consultant will write an evalution.

After the first acquaintance the EVD expects partners to invest time and effort to further develop a mutual relationship to start new joint activities.

Intake form

• Only through this dedicated intake form local companies can apply for selection in the Matchmaking Facility offered by the EVD.

• Please fill in as completely as possible! The more clear and solid this intake is, the more chance there is on a positive outcome of the screening.

• Please fill in the form do so in English. Only if this is absolutely not possible for you, French or Spanish is an option.

• The Matchmaking Facility not meant for local companies interested in general market research.

• Once we have received your intake form, the Dutch Embassy will contact you as soon as possible about further steps in this procedure.

• The information you  provide through this form will be treated confidentially, and will not be used for any other purpose than the matchmaking (intake) procedure. However, if you wish that the EVD will forward this form to other organizations in the field of development cooperation or international business in The Netherlands to possibly support your business plans, please state so below.

• Filling in this form does not guarantee the EVD actually starting partner search activities. The Dutch Embassy in conjunction with EVD makes a selection of a small group of serious companies with detailed and commercially interesting business plans, to whom the facility will be offered.