In the 1990s, the UNDP-TIPS project constituted a large network for information sharing oriented to small and medium enterprises of developing countries. It was a pioneering initiative that offers easy access to business opportunities through information in various languages, to countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

 

The information on technology offers and requests, business opportunities and services of enterprises from various sectors of the economy includes: agriculture, food processing, biotechnology, building and construction, tannery, energy, packaging, electronics, mining, textiles, tourism and transportation.

 

TIPS was created in 1986 with the assistance of the Government of Italy and, later on, the Governments of Austria and The Netherlands. Some 200,000 small and medium enterprises have participated directly in the activities of the TIPS network.

For a decade, WINNER worked for the economic empowerment of women from various regions of the world, especially those from the marginalized socio-economic sector. It is aims to create new capacities in entrepreneurship with the use of ICT Information and Communication to develop business Competitiveness, thereby helping reduce gender disparity.

 

Some 17,000 women entrepreneurs have been benefited by the WINNER in terms of information services and knowledge of the use of ICT in their enterprises. This has resulted in generating livelihood opportunities for these women who now can promote their products in the marketplace, enter into cooperation with one another and also their counterparts in other regions. Further, this has allowed these women to improve income by having access to new markets in the global economy.

 

WINNER has been supported with funds from the Government of Italy, UNIFEM and UNDP.