The Built Environment Professions Export Council (BEPEC) is a not-for-profit membership based company in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the South African Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). It supports Built Environment companies in South Africa to export their professional services into Africa and abroad, in line with the following DTI key objectives:

• Growing export in volume and value
• Diversifying export products
• Diversifying export markets
• Diversifying the exporter base in terms of SME’s, Black Owned Enterprises, and other HDI enterprises.

To facilitate exposure and access for members, on an on-going basis, to strategic and relevant projects and project opportunities along the development corridors of Africa, as well as to the funding programmes of the major development and commercial funding institutions.

Reasons why South African Professional Services Companies in the Built Environment should be Members of BEPEC

1. BEPEC can facilitate access to any of the South African Embassies or High Commissions across the world via BEPEC’s links to the dti and DIRCO.
2. BEPEC’s Public Private Partnership with the dti comes in the wake of the incorporation of the Built Environment into a Customised Sector Programme of the dti, allowing for collaboration in the pursuit of increased exports.
3. BEPEC provides a platform for discussion between the Private Sector and Government (dti) on export promotion policy development which will affect the exporting of professional services and goods, as well as local industry.
4. BEPEC can assist its members with the overcoming of trade barriers i.e. information on in‐country professional registration, working requirements, permits, liaising with government and other industry bodies on contractual and legislative issues, financial regulations, medical requirements, logistical problems, etc.
5. BEPEC has and continuous to play a leading role in the activities of the Engineering and Technology Grouping of Export Councils (ETGEC), the formation of which resulted in making available a combination of disciplines and expertise from the respective membership bases which can competitively tender for / put together bids /execute / promote / and implement infrastructure, industrial, and mining projects in Africa.
6. BEPEC is planning to prepare a position paper for dti to consider funding the putting together of bids for the large and priority infrastructure projects in Africa.
7. BEPEC provides its members with early intelligence on up‐coming projects and project opportunities along the development corridors in Africa, and market access information through the facilitation and hosting of Outward Selling Missions (OSM’s), market research, formation of relevant export groupings or clusters, and many Projects and Funding related workshops.
8. BEPEC, together with the dti and the ETGEC, has established the Business Facilitation Agency
   (Shared Office Facility) in Tete, Mozambique, with purpose to provide a low risk and low cost access to project opportunities in growth nodes along the North‐South development corridor. This initiative will now be replicated in other growth nodes such as the new Copper Belt in Zambia and the Oil & Gas growth nodes in south‐east Africa.
9. Together with the dti, BEPEC is in the process of establishing a Multi‐Stakeholder “Platform” for effective Public Private Partnership collaboration on the accessing of project opportunities along the North‐South Corridor. This “Platform” will have its own resources and budget to assist with the implementation of projects. This initiative is a further example of BEPEC leveraging its relationship with the dti to the benefit of its members.
10. Additional support activity by BEPEC in exposing members of the Engineering & Technology Grouping of Export Councils to markets and project opportunities, is the hosting of “Show me the Projects” workshops, which are presentations and networking events on project opportunities, and discussions on strategies to access such projects.
11. Through available information, its networking capabilities, and special relationship and leverage with the dti, the Engineering & Technology Grouping of Export Councils, BEPEC continuously identifies and prioritise strategic projects along some of the development corridors, for which great potential exist for the exporting of professional services and capital goods from South Africa. These projects then to be packaged, initiated, and executed appropriately so as to create a pull effect for professional services and capital goods out of South Africa and into Africa.
12. BEPEC facilitates access to dti funding for staging trade missions to development finance institutions such as the African Development Bank and the World Bank, as well as to various dti financial incentives and Group offerings, known as the Export Marketing and Investment Assistance
    (EMIA) Scheme, which allows for funding grants for project feasibility studies (CPFP), and cost recovery on Group Participation events i.e. National Pavilions, Outward Investment and Selling Missions, etc.
13. BEPEC also facilitates access to the Procurement processes and Contract law of the major funding institutions, as well as the utilisation of South African Trust Funds at the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.
14. Facilitating of access to South African and international non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) and donor agencies.
15. Additional BEPEC initiative is to expose its own and members of the Engineering & Technology Grouping of Export Councils to project funding opportunities, is the hosting of “Show me the Money” workshops, which are presentations on financial products and/or incentives available from Government and other Financial Institutions, i.e. Feasibility study funding, Export Credit Insurance, Market Research intelligence, and funding support from the dti, DBSA, IDC, AfDB, World Bank, IFC, etc.
16. BEPEC is actively involved in the international and African affairs of CESA, SAIA and ASAQS through various events that allow members to identify business partners, network and share knowledge.
17. BEPEC also facilitates access to its other Networking capabilities, i.e. GAMA (Group of African Member Associations of Consulting Engineers), Union of African Architects, Government Departments, DTI Foreign Economic Representatives & High Commissioners, Development & Commercial Financing Institutions, SADC (Southern Africa Development Conference), NEPAD, FAEO (Federation of African Engineering Organisations), SAFEO (Southern African Federation of Engineering Organisations), etc.