'Consultancy Grants' from ICTA

The ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) invites export oriented local Information Technology (IT), IT Enabled Services (ITES) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies to apply for their "Consultancy Grant" scheme to improve local industry through exposure to international expertise.

An ICTA media release said that so far 23 IT - BPO companies have taken up this grant aimed at providing export oriented domestic IT ITES and BPO companies an opportunity to link with international ICT business development expertise. Several of these companies have explored opportunities in countries such as the UK, US, Canada, Bahrain, India, Malaysia, and Japan.

Through this grant scheme, John Keels Computer Services IT Sector had concluded more than 100,000 pounds worth of projects and assignments while Eureka Technology Partners had engaged two enterprise level clients and trebled their income from consultancy services.

Pyxle's sales had increased 25 percent while the exposure gained through the grant had given Sabre Technologies the confidence to make a firm commitment to start an operation in the UK.

Eureka Technology Partners views that through the grant the number of leads generated through the consultancy exercise has outpaced their previous years.

Similarly, the grant had helped Micromage to improve business closer home by securing a number of projects by successful market entry into two regional countries, namely Malaysia and Brunei, the statement said.

Growth in the industry has been accelerating which now employs a workforce of nearly 60,000. The industry operates in the domestic and international market with the latter being the more lucrative in terms of revenue. Further the IT-BPO industry is the fifth largest export revenue earner in Sri Lanka with estimated export revenues at approximately US $ 300 million which is aimed at reaching US $ 1 billion by 2016.