The overall objective of this project was to improve the competitiveness of Kyrgyz rural enterprises in the Issyk-Kul Oblast in domestic and regional markets.

The WYG International team was worked with two Kyrgyz "industry clusters" – identified during the preparation of the project Terms of Reference – the Agro- Processing Industry and the Tourism Industry. A third component worked to increase the access to existing micro credit schemes through training and legal regulation.

For the purposes of the project "Clusters" were defined to include all stakeholders in the performance of a given industry, comprising private enterprises of all sizes, producers, suppliers, customers, labour, government, research institutes, training institutions, professional associations, and other groups.

The project contributed to measurable increases in cluster-wide percentages of GDP, exports, domestic market share, total employment, productivity and other indicators that define a cluster's performance from year to year. It also substantially developed the capacity of business associations, for-profit consultants and other business service providers to support the private sector in the Kyrgyz Republic on a commercially sustainable basis.