This describes 30 promising business projects aimed at increasing export potential, stimulating investments, and creating joint ventures with business representatives from Central Asian countries and Kazakhstan. The competition is held with the assistance of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (ACFSMC) and cooperative organizations from ASEAN countries.

Purpose of the Competition

The goal of this competition is to:

• Select 30 promising projects that will demonstrate the capabilities of ACFSMC and ASEAN cooperatives to ensure a 30% growth in product exports from Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries, stimulate investments, and foster joint ventures with business representatives from Central Asian countries and Kazakhstan by ACFSMC members and ASEAN cooperative organizations.
• Attract investments into the most promising projects to ensure cooperation between China, ASEAN countries, and Central Asian countries for the development of export or import of cooperative and business products from these countries.
• Establish advantageous procurement of necessary components, parts, and equipment for organizing production or conducting business in Kazakhstan and Central Asia under conditions that cooperatives from ASEAN countries and China can provide (e.g., installment payments, leasing, lease-to-own, etc.).

Benefits for Winners and Collaboration

For the competition winners, specific contracts for product procurement are planned. The signing of contracts for the selected projects is expected to take place within the framework of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai in November 2025. This event will provide a unique opportunity for establishing direct contacts and concluding profitable deals, especially considering the traditional participation of high-ranking members of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan in this exhibition.
The All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (ACFSMC) has expressed interest and readiness for cooperation, fully sharing the vision of the importance of developing the cooperative movement to stimulate trade and economic ties between Central Asia, China, and ASEAN countries. ACFSMC is prepared to provide comprehensive assistance in:

• Organizing preparatory events for contract conclusion.
• Helping Kazakhstani and Central Asian companies obtain trade opportunities.
• Considering investment opportunities in promising projects.
• Concluding contracts for the supply of in-demand products.
• Facilitating the advantageous procurement of necessary components, parts, and equipment for organizing production or conducting business in Kazakhstan and Central Asia under the most favorable conditions offered by cooperatives from ASEAN countries and China (e.g., installment payments, leasing, lease-to-own, etc.).

How to Participate

We invite potential participants to take part in the competition. To participate in the project, you can register on the e-gov Business information portal and Digital Business Map, which are official sources of competition information along with the website kooperativ.kz.
The Competition Regulations, defining the organization, conduct of all stages, requirements for participants, project evaluation criteria, and the procedure for summing up the results, are also posted there and are attached to the official letter.
To participate in the competition, please fill out the following form: https://forms.gle/YPVBiUe6q32ATe298

Regulations on the Competition
For the Selection of Projects to Participate in the Program for Developing the Export Potential of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Central Asian Countries to ASEAN Countries and the People's Republic of China

1. General Provisions

1.1. These Regulations define the procedure for organizing and holding a competition for the selection of projects aimed at increasing the export potential of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries to ASEAN countries and the People's Republic of China through the development of the cooperative movement and economic cooperation.
1.2. Project Justification and Importance of Participation in the Shanghai CIIE Exhibition:

• A signed strategic partnership agreement between the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (ACFSMC) and the National Association of Cooperatives and Other Forms of Economic Communities of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
• A written invitation-notification to the organizers to participate in the Shanghai Import-Export Exhibition and the "China - Central Asia" business forum.
• An official notification from the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (ACFSMC) expressing readiness to support 30 projects, conclude contracts, attract investments, and procure products from 30 projects in Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

Significance of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai:

• The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is the world's largest exhibition, held at the state level, providing a unique opportunity for companies from various countries to present their goods and services to the vast Chinese market.
• In 2024, the 7th CIIE was attended by 152 countries and regions, as well as 297 companies from the Fortune Global 500 list. The total exhibition area exceeded 420,000 square meters, and the volume of deals surpassed 80 billion US dollars.
• The exhibition serves as a platform for the development of international trade and economic cooperation, as well as for promoting the "One Belt, One Road" initiative.
• Participating in CIIE opens doors to establishing direct contacts with Chinese importers, distributors, and end-consumers, significantly increasing the chances of concluding profitable deals.
• CIIE attracts not only Chinese but also international companies, investors, and government delegations, creating a favorable environment for attracting investments and expanding business in the region.
• For companies from Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries, CIIE is a strategically important platform for diversifying export and import markets, reducing dependence on traditional partners, and entering new promising markets in China and ASEAN countries.

1.3. The organizers of the competition are:

• NPP Atameken
• Foreign Trade Chamber of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• SRO Union of Legal Entities "National Association of Cooperatives and Other Forms of Economic Communities" of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• "Baiterek" National Management Holding" JSC
• "QazTrade" JSC
• "Kazakh Invest" JSC
• Authorized organizations of Central Asian countries (for projects from respective countries).
• With the support and coordination of: ACFSMC (All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives)

1.4. The purpose of the competition is to:

• Select 30 promising projects that will demonstrate the capabilities of ACFSMC and ASEAN cooperatives to ensure a 30% growth in product exports from Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries, stimulate investments, and foster joint ventures with business representatives from Central Asian countries and Kazakhstan by ACFSMC members and ASEAN cooperative organizations.
• Attract investments into the most promising projects to ensure cooperation between China, ASEAN countries, and Central Asian countries for the development of export or import of cooperative and business products from these countries.
• Establish advantageous procurement of necessary components, parts, and equipment for organizing production or conducting business in Kazakhstan and Central Asia under conditions that cooperatives from ASEAN countries and China can provide (e.g., installment payments, leasing, lease-to-own, etc.).

2. Competition Participants

2.1. Legal entities and individual entrepreneurs registered in the Republic of Kazakhstan or other Central Asian countries, proposing projects aimed at the production and/or export of products to ASEAN countries and China, are eligible to participate in the competition.
2.2. Competition participants must meet the following requirements:

• Be members (for cooperatives) or associated members (for other forms of legal entities or individual entrepreneurs) of the SRO Union of Legal Entities "National Association of Cooperatives and Other Forms of Economic Communities" of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
• Have experience in foreign economic activity (desirable).
• Offer competitive products that meet the requirements of the markets in ASEAN countries and China.
• Specify the name of goods or services, the mechanism (installment, prepayment, leasing, rent, etc.), and the volumes of procurement that the competition participant plans to purchase in China.
• Support the principles and values of the global cooperative movement and other forms of international economic cooperation.

3. Competition Procedure for Residents of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Quotas for determining competition winners:

• 20 projects – one project from each of the 20 regions of Kazakhstan.
• 10 projects – distributed as follows:
• 3 projects – provided to 3 sectoral ministries of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
• 2 projects – provided to "Baiterek" National Management Holding.
• 5 projects – transferred to other Central Asian countries.

3.1. For entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan, the competition is conducted in two stages:
Stage I – Regional/National Selection:

• For Kazakhstan:
• By regions: held in each of the 20 regions of Kazakhstan. Based on this stage's results, 10 projects are selected from each region.
• By sectors: held in three ministries (Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan). Based on this stage's results, 10 projects are selected from each ministry.
• By "Baiterek" National Management Holding: held among the holding's subsidiary divisions. Based on this, each subsidiary division of the holding provides 10 projects that won the first stage of the competition.

Stage II – International Selection: From the projects selected in Stage I, the international competition commission determines 25 winning projects.

• For other Central Asian countries: The selection procedure is determined by the authorized organizations of each country in accordance with the regulations agreed upon by the competition organizer.

3.2. To participate in the competition, participants from Kazakhstan must submit the following package of documents:

• Application for participation in the competition (in the prescribed form).
• Project presentation, including product description, market analysis (including ASEAN and China markets), export strategy, financial plan, and company information in Kazakh, English, and Chinese.
• Copyrights for the submitted projects must belong to the participants who submitted the application. The competition organizers are not responsible for copyright issues.
• Copies of constituent documents.
• For participants from Kazakhstan:
• A certificate from the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs stating no arrears in mandatory membership fees (MMF) to NPP Atameken.
• A certificate of no arrears in associate member contributions to the SRO Union of Legal Entities "National Association of Cooperatives and Other Forms of Economic Communities" of the Republic of Kazakhstan until the end of 2025.

3.3. Documents are submitted to:

• For Kazakhstan: the project manager of the SRO Union of Legal Entities "National Association of Cooperatives and Other Forms of Economic Communities" of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
• For other Central Asian countries: the authorized organizations determined by each country.

3.4. The exact deadlines for accepting documents and conducting the competition stages are determined by the organizers and published in official information sources on the kooperativ.kz website and on the NPP Atameken information platform eGov Business – public services for entrepreneurs.
Preliminary Deadlines:

• Submission of documents for the competition: until 18:00, July 30, 2025.
• First stage of the competition: until July 15, 2025.
• International stage of the competition: August 15, 2025.

4. Competition Commission

4.1. For Kazakhstan:

• The chairman of the competition commission for the regions is the akim (governor) of the region.
• The regional competition commission includes representatives from:
• Regional councils of NPP "Atameken"
• "QazTrade" JSC
• "KazakhInvest" JSC
• National Association of Cooperatives and Other Forms of Economic Communities of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Foreign Trade Chamber of the Republic of Kazakhstan

4.2. For other Central Asian countries:

• The composition and formation procedure of the competition commissions are determined by the authorized organizations of each country.

4.3. For the International Stage:

• An international competition commission is formed, including representatives of the organizers from Kazakhstan, other Central Asian countries, and ACFSMC.

4.4. The competition commission (at all stages) evaluates projects based on the following criteria:

• Export or import potential of products (to and from ASEAN countries and China) on a five-point scale.
• Competitiveness of products in the markets of ASEAN countries and China on a five-point scale.
• Innovativeness and originality of the project on a five-point scale.
• Financial stability and investment attractiveness of the project on a five-point scale.
• Readiness for development through the cooperative movement system and other forms of international economic cooperation on a five-point scale.
• Logistics capabilities on a five-point scale.
• Socio-economic significance of the project for the region/country on a five-point scale.

5. Summing Up Results and Awarding Winners

5.1. Based on the results of the International Stage of the competition, 30 winning projects are determined.
5.1.1. The decision of the competition commissions at all stages is final and not subject to revision. Appeals or reviews of the competition commission's decisions are not provided for.
5.1.2. The protocols of the commissions will be officially published on the kooperativ.kz website.
5.2. Quotas for winning projects:

• 3 projects are allocated to 3 ministries of the Republic of Kazakhstan (by sectoral principle).
• 2 projects are allocated to "Baiterek" National Management Holding.
• 5 projects are allocated to other Central Asian republics (distribution determined by agreement between the organizers).
• 20 projects receive prizes and opportunities aimed at supporting their entry into ASEAN and Chinese markets.

5.3. Prizes and Opportunities:
For the first 10 projects selected at the regional stage, as well as from ministries and "Baiterek" National Management Holding:

• Organization of participation in the Shanghai CIIE exhibition at cost price from ACFSMC organizers.
• Assistance from ACFSMC in obtaining all permits for entering the Chinese market through the ACFSMC system.
• Assistance in establishing business contacts with potential partners in ASEAN countries and China.
• Information support for projects from the organizers.
• Reimbursement of exhibition participation costs (stand, logistics) will be carried out in accordance with established rules by JSC QazTrade, regional akimats (at their discretion), and subsidiary structures of "Baiterek" National Management Holding.

For the 25 winning projects (selected at the international stage):

• Opportunity to place advertising stands at the CIIE exhibition in Shanghai, organized jointly with ACFSMC, at the expense of the organizers (5 sq.m.).
• Support from ACFSMC in concluding product procurement contracts.
• Assistance from ACFSMC in obtaining all permits for entering the Chinese market through the ACFSMC system.
• Payment by the competition organizers for airfare and accommodation of the winning companies' heads during the exhibition.
• Opportunity for company heads to speak and present their projects at the "Central Asia - China" or "China - ASEAN Countries" forum.

5.4. The competition organizers reserve the right to establish additional forms of support for the winning projects.

6. Concluding Provisions

6.1. The competition organizers reserve the right to make changes and additions to these Regulations.
6.2. All disputed issues related to the competition's conduct shall be resolved through negotiations, and in case of disagreement, in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and applicable international law.

© 2018 "National Association of Cooperatives and Other Forms of Economic Communities of the Republic of Kazakhstan"

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