The US-based non-profit organis-ation Kearny Alliance plans to double the scope of its Developing Country Export Assistance Programme this year.

"We have published 28 Developing Country Sourcing Reports and supported hundreds of exporters over the past two years.

"We plan to double the scope of the Developing Country Export Assistance Programme by publishing 24 Developing Country Sourcing Reports next year, up from 12 this year," said Alexander Boome, programme director.

Many exporters from Vietnam and other emerging economies have benefited from the programme so far.

The complete aid package offered to Vietnamese exporters includes marketing channels that give them exposure to global buyers such as Global Sources' B2B marketing websites, emerging market reports and training in making effective inquiries.

Programme supplier beneficiaries in five countries, half of whom are in Vietnam , have so far received 725,000 USD worth of export orders.

Most supplier beneficiaries expected to generate a further 5.5 million USD within the next 12 months, a Kearny Alliance survey has found.

Over the last two years, the programme has helped create more than 2,000 jobs in Vietnam , India , Cambodia , the Philippines and Indonesia .

Dang Quang Thang, director of Tiamo Ltd Co which makes handbags and fashion accessories, said, "We are pleased and excited to have received good sales through this free programme as we started uploading our products on to Global Sources Online in 2009.

"We have received ten orders so far from the US and Europe for our handmade handbags, requiring us to employ more than 100 workers."

Pham Hoa, export specialist at the Sunhouse Group JSC, said featuring in the Vietnam Sourcing Report and using the B2B marketing website to market their kitchenware products had proved fruitful.

"We've got very good sales leads from this programme. We will try to convert them into more export orders."

"Our programme is looking for small- and medium-sized firms, dedicated entrepreneurs who aspire to work with global buyers and tap new export markets," Boome said.

The number of supplier beneficiaries from Vietnam has reached around 250 so far, making up 50 percent of total beneficiaries participating in the programme, according to the Kearny Alliance.

Kearny Alliance is a non-profit foundation that partners with other international organisations to further its mission of "Aid through Trade", to advance international development through trade-related business, education, training and applied research./.