São Paulo – Entries will be accepted until December 14 from Brazilian enterprises looking to join Design Export, a contest whereby technical and financial support will be given for product and packaging design. The contest is being held by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and by design hub Centro Brasil Design (CBD).
Two hundred companies will be shortlisted, including 100 food and beverage ones for packaging development and 100 from other industries, for packaging and product development. According to Apex-Brasil, the goal is to encourage the use of design in Brazilian industry as a strategic tool for increasing exports.
Each selected company will get up to BRL 18,000 for hiring a design firm registered with the program, and follow-up from a consultant specializing in management. The methodology employed is the CBDs Design na Prática (Design at Work), which is intended to incorporate design tools and take steps in order to minimize risks and boost results.
The program was launched in 2013 and has had two editions since. Apex-Brasil reports that 300 companies in 30 different industries have been involved so far. Although the international markets targeted in past editions were various, the Mercosur was preferred by most businesses, and 34% of them chose Latin America.
The project connects business owners with design professionals for consulting and training, as well as support to packaging and product design. Two more calls for entries are expected to be made before the ongoing one ends – which is expected to happen in 2020, according to information from Apex-Brasil.
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Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
