IESC remains committed to strengthening small businesses, which has been at the heart of our work since our founding in 1964. Since then, we have collaborated with thousands of businesses and entrepreneurs across diverse sectors, empowering them to launch, innovate, and grow. Here are a few ways we’ve made an impact: • In Bosnia and Herzegovina, our support helped 54 businesses obtain 94 certifications, increasing their exports to the European Union. • We equipped Vietnamese suppliers to better meet the needs of lead firms by enhancing manufacturing practices, customer engagement, and sales negotiations, leading to 280 transactions valued at $8.6 million. • Additionally, we connected 1,200 Ethiopian businesses with U.S. buyers through 21 trade promotion events, generating $19 million in sales. Through our work, businesses throughout the economically developing world have increased sales, created jobs, and improved standards of living, catalyzing economic growth and enabling people and communities to thrive. (fb)

Through the European Union-funded Tourism Resilience in Sri Lanka Project, IESC designed and developed the Pekoe Trail, a 300 km hiking and walking trail network through Sri Lankan tea country. This new signature experience was a major part of our efforts to support Sri Lanka’s post-pandemic tourism recovery and resilience. Created to advance sustainability and community development, the Pekoe Trail helped retain jobs and small businesses in the area, while catalyzing new tourism businesses and experiences. The trail is now managed by the Pekoe Trail Company (Gte) Ltd. We're thrilled to see the Pekoe Trail featured on TIME's list of the World's Greatest Places of 2025: https://time.com/collections/worlds-greatest-places-2025/7263135/the-pekoe-trail The project was an integral part of the IESC-implemented USAID Youth Employment and Business Start-up (YouLead) Program, which increased the employability of young people in Sri Lanka. (fb)