Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Qatar now have the opportunity to penetrate the international market through Qatar Development Bank’s (QDB) “Franchise Project,” the bank’s chief executive officer said.
Speaking to reporters at the QDB headquarters yesterday, QDB CEO Abdulaziz bin Nasser al-Khalifa said interested SMEs could register in the Franchise Project through the bank’s website. The registration process will start today (January 25) and will run for one week.
During the registration process, SME owners must take the online “Franchisability Quiz” to determine if they qualify for the next stages of assessment. 
“There are several stages applicants need to go through to benefit from the Franchise Project. These include evaluating a company’s readiness, to discussing the next steps and requirements, and creating evaluation reports to pinpoint development areas,” al-Khalifa explained.
To be eligible for the Franchise Project, a business must have 51% Qatari ownership, in operation for a minimum of one year, and must add value to the economy, education, manufacturing and services, and food and beverage (F&B) sectors.
Al-Khalifa also said out of the qualified SMEs, QDB will shortlist 10 businesses, which will receive international exposure in five countries. Over the next three years, QDB will provide legal consultations, and operational and marketing tools to give local Qatari brands the chance to expand globally.
He also stressed that the Franchise Project was the product of a study conducted by QDB and international advisers in the franchising industry.
QDB executive director of Advisory Services Hamad Khamis al-Kubaisi said: “In the last few years, QDB has seen many entrepreneurs who want to bring various franchise brands to Qatar. Our programme wants to do the opposite. The Franchise Project aims to take different Qatari brands and send them to an international platform.”
“There is a misconception that franchising is a business model that is only used in the food and beverage sector. But the concept could also be applied to other sectors as well,” al-Kubaisi said.
He added: “QDB has also consulted experts to help the bank come up with a number technical, financial evaluations, and legal advisories to help SMEs enter the international market.”
Asked to identify the five countries where the shortlisted SMEs will get international exposure, al-Kubaisi said QDB “will not impose a particular market onto the entrepreneur.”
“The five countries will be based on the preference of the entrepreneur or the franchisor. We will help the local companies develop the franchise model and then we will bring them to international franchise exhibitions related to their businesses,” al-Kubaisi told Gulf Times.
“Based on their exposure to these global franchise exhibitions, from their networking and B2B meetings, and on the franchisor’s appetite, they will then decide which country they want to penetrate,” he explained.
Asked what other sectors other than the F&B industry are viable for international franchise, al-Kubaisi said: “Based on the study we have done, QDB has seen franchises for petrol stations, manufacturing, clinics, medical and wellness centres, spas, and gyms, and none of them are related to F&B.”