Output

1) Research Report (APEC Publication)

The desk review research report will provide an empirical and practical foundation to inform the project’s capacity building efforts, while also serving as a durable, stand-alone resource for policymakers in APEC economies who seek to support the integration of domestic MSMEs into global supply chains. The research report will largely draw on desk research, bolstered by targeted key informant interviews, and will be approximately 15 pages minimum (excluding annexes). The scope of the report will cover the types of reporting requirements that MSMEs in APEC are required to adhere to as part of GVCs. findings of the research report will cover three main topics. First, by drawing on established international compliance standards and practices such as the OECD and UN Global Compact, as well as legislative frameworks in key consumer markets such as the European Union and the United States, the paper will provide a contextualized overview of the current state of supply chain reporting requirements as they relate to key sectors and value chains in the APEC region. This topic will also include a discussion of key definitions to clarify and highlight the need for standardization of terms to reduce confusion among suppliers and enable them to streamline reporting mechanisms across corporate buyers. The second topic will focus on the challenges MSMEs face when working to understand and comply with reporting demands of buyers, including human and financial resource constraints. The third topic will cover strategies and solutions to build the compliance capacity of MSMEs to deliver on supply chain reporting requirements.

Corporate capacity building programs for suppliers, business association training programs, and publicly-available toolkits could be among the low- or no-cost solutions that could be included as best practices that APEC economies could learn from and potentially adapt in support of local MSMEs. In addition to synthesizing existing reports and evidence, the report findings will feature real world examples and case studies drawn from interviews with suppliers, corporations, and other experts. The findings from the research report will help inform the workshop agenda.

2) Workshop

The desk review learnings will inform the development and delivery of a capacity building workshop in Q2 2026 that will provide a platform for APEC member participants to engage with supply chain experts and policymakers from other economies to exchange information and experiences, learn about best practices and exemplars, and consider how to adapt effective strategies to strengthen the capacity of small businesses to adhere to supply chain reporting requirements and engage in global trade. Held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the workshop will bring together approximately 30-45 participants, comprised of policymakers and officials covering MSMEs as well as companies. The two-day workshop will feature expert panels, interactive activities, and keynote lectures that explore the themes and recommendations offered in the desk review paper, focusing particularly on case studies, examples, and lessons learned fromsuppliers, corporations, and experts operating in APEC economies. For example, sessions will cover key learnings from the research report as a foundation for the workshop discussions; highlight successful solutions, tools, and resources that MSMEs are using in the region to better adhere to reporting requirements; and an interactive discussion to summarize the learnings and enable participants to think about and share how they will apply what they have learned from the workshop (followed by a post- event evaluation). The goal of the workshop will be to equip participants with actionable steps, practical tools, and useful networks that can be deployed in their economies to close knowledge and capacity gaps related to due diligence and other reporting requirements to which MSMEs seeking entry into global supply chains must comply. The Project Overseers will leverage APEC funding to cover travel and related costs to facilitate the participation of speakers and participants from APEC travel- eligible economies. This funding support will help ensure that representatives from all APEC economies have the opportunity to participate in the exchange of information and experiences, and to obtain knowledge and skills from the project. To maximize capacity building outcomes, Project Overseers will disseminate the desk review research to all members of the SMEWG.

Outcome

1) Replication and adaptation of MSME capacity building approaches for supply chain reporting

2) An increase in participants’ knowledge of global supply chain reporting requirements

3) An increase in participants’ knowledge of effective approaches to effectively comply with MSME supply chain reporting requirements

4) Formulation of recommendations on how compliance approaches can be streamlined or adapted across economies and sectors

Beneficiaries

The primary beneficiaries are policymakers, companies, and MSME representatives who will participate in the capacity building workshop, while the secondary beneficiaries include MSME policymakers in APEC member economies who will receive the desk review research report. Most recipients of the desk review will have direct responsibility for supporting MSME development in their economies. MSME business associations (such as economy-level chambers or associations) and MSMEs themselves may also find the desk research findings helpful in identifying tools, programs, and solutions and thus are considered direct beneficiaries as well. For the workshop, the primary beneficiaries will be comprised primarily of MSME policymakers, such as those from SME promotion, commerce, and/or trade agencies and/or departments. The workshop may also include corporate and MSME representatives, as well as academic and civil society stakeholders. The PO will solicit nominations for corporate procurement managers from large and/or international companies and other priority private sector experts from APEC economies that express interest in sharing their experiences or building their capacity in supply chain reporting on a self-funded basis. The PO will encourage and support the participation of developing APEC MSMEs that are nominated through APEC economy governments and will aim to achieve 50% participation of women in the workshop who will be drawn from economies across the region. The research paper will be disseminated via the SME Working Group. The POs welcome the opportunity for the research report to be made available on the APEC website, with the appropriate approvals.