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# [SEYCHELLES] SMEs: €8 Million COMESA Grant to Boost Local Competitiveness
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/seychelles-pme-8-millions-deuros-comesa-pour-booster-la-competitivite-locale-en/
- Published: 2026-07-30T13:39:44.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-30T13:39:44.000Z
- Description: The Seychelles receive €8 million through the COMESA RECAMP programme to strengthen local SMEs. Export training, quality standards, hubs for women entrepreneurs — a programme targeting economic resilience.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: Seychelles, Investissement, Clôture, #en

**The Seychelles are set to benefit from an €8 million envelope mobilised through the COMESA RECAMP programme, co-funded by the European Union. The goal: strengthen the competitiveness of local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises on regional and global markets, with a particular focus on women-led businesses.**

## A Regional Programme Tailored for Seychelles

The RECAMP — Regional Capacity-Building Programme — stems from a contribution agreement signed between the COMESA Secretariat and the European Union, for a total envelope of **€8.8 million**. The portion specifically allocated to the Seychelles amounts to **€8 million**. The programme targets the most vulnerable segments of the local business ecosystem: micro-enterprises and SMEs, which form the backbone of private employment across the archipelago.

## Four Concrete Areas of Action

RECAMP goes well beyond financial transfers. It operates across four practical pillars. First, **sanitary and phytosanitary standards training** — essential for accessing European and Asian export markets. Second, the roll-out of **quality management systems**, including ISO certifications and equivalent frameworks, to raise production standards. Third, the creation of **entrepreneurial hubs**, prioritising women-led businesses through the local chapter of the COMESA Federation of Women Businesspersons (COMFWB). Fourth, integration into **regional value chains** through public-private dialogue platforms and export readiness programmes.

These pillars address identified structural gaps: existing national schemes such as the Development Bank's SME Scheme (offering loans up to SCR 3 million) focus on capital provision but do not build skills or prepare firms for internationalisation.

## A Context That Makes the Initiative Critical

The Seychelles faces well-documented structural constraints: excessive tourism dependency, limited market size, high operating costs and restricted business financing. More than **700 SMEs** have already accessed African Development Bank financing, reflecting strong demand against a still-insufficient supply. The RECAMP programme complements the existing landscape by tackling competitiveness beyond financing.

## Why It Matters

For an archipelago of 100,000 people where tourism accounts for over 60% of economic activity, diversifying revenue streams and opening SMEs to export is not an option — it is a resilience imperative. This COMESA programme offers a rare opportunity to accelerate that diversification backed by substantial technical and financial support. The stakes extend beyond the Seychelles: in a COMESA market of 21 countries and 600 million consumers, achieving « export-ready » status can reshape the growth trajectory of a Seychellois SME within a few years. Businesses interested in the programme are encouraged to contact their local chamber of commerce or the COMFWB.

*Source: Capmad / APAnews / The Seychelles Times*