The e-Commerce Acceleration Programme (eCAP) contributes to the growth of the digital economy and stimulates a dynamic entrepreneurship environment across the Arab region.

The eCommerce Acceleration Programme (eCAP) contributes to the growth of the digital economy and stimulates a dynamic entrepreneurship environment across the Arab region.

UN-ESCWA launched the e-Commerce Acceleration Programme (eCAP), with the support of the ICC-ESCWA Centre of Entrepreneurship, to empower Arab small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through their transition journey into online selling.

The eCAP programme builds the capacity of up to 200 SMEs from the Arab region to transition into online selling by developing their transactional e-Commerce websites. Participating SMEs will benefit from business and technical expertise, critical setup fees to build their online stores, one-on-one coaching, in addition to exposure and access to networking opportunities.

 

 

 

Key Features Include:

  • Development of fully functional e-commerce websites
  • Integration with payment gateways and logistics providers
  • Training on digital content creation and product presentation
  • Capacity building in e-commerce operations and digital marketing
  • Ongoing technical and business support

 

Details:

📅 Duration: 2025–2026 cycle (ongoing)
🌍 Language: English
🎯 Target Audience: SMEs in the Arab region seeking to establish or expand their online presence
📌 Format: Fully online (live training sessions and hands-on coaching)

 

What Participants Receive

Selected SMEs benefit from comprehensive technical and capacity-building support, including:

  • A fully functional, transactional e-commerce website tailored to their business
  • One year of free hosting, with preferential rates for subsequent years
  • Integration with local and international payment gateways
  • Integration with shipping and logistics service providers
  • One year of account management support
  • Training on content development and mobile product photography
  • Ongoing coaching on e-commerce operations, digital marketing, SEO, and web analytics

All websites developed through the programme are fully transactional, enabling customers to browse products or services, complete purchases, and make payments online.

 

 

Training and Coaching Approach

The programme is delivered entirely online through interactive sessions, following a structured training-plus-coaching model.

Training sessions introduce key concepts such as e-commerce fundamentals, digital content creation (including the use of AI tools), cross-border trade, and online store management. These are followed by hands-on coaching sessions, where participants work directly on their business materials with guidance from experts.

Throughout the programme, participants prepare all essential components required to build their online store, including product catalogues, website content, and shipping configurations. This ensures readiness for the technical development and launch phase.

 

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the programme, applicants must:

  • Be a registered and operational SME in an Arab country
  • Offer a product or service suitable for online selling
  • Have an active social media presence
  • Commit one to two team members to participate in the programme
  • Not have previously participated in the eCAP programme

 

Registration

The programme is open on an ongoing basis for the 2025–2026 cycle. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and selected SMEs are invited to join upcoming training batches.

Click here to register

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