Area 4 partners and the government of Mozambique inaugurate the MozUP Enterprise Development Center

• Center will help to build capacity of Mozambican small-and-medium enterprises
• Program made possible through support from Area 4 partners

MAPUTO, Mozambique – ExxonMobil Moçambique, Limitada, on behalf of Mozambique Rovuma Venture and the Area 4 partners, today inaugurated the Maputo office of the MozUp Enterprise Development Center (MozUp EDC) in collaboration with the government of Mozambique and the private sector.

The MozUP Enterprise Development Center (EDC) supports the development of Mozambican businesses, to qualify and compete in key Mozambican sectors of economic growth, including the energy sector. Services include business assessments, consulting and advisory services, quality and safety certification requirements and information on accessing capital.

“The forthcoming growth and development in Mozambique will require a robust local supply chain,” said Liam Mallon, President of ExxonMobil Upstream Oil and Gas Company. “Through MozUP, we are investing in developing the capabilities of local suppliers and helping them maximize the benefits generated by the LNG projects and other industrial sectors beyond oil and gas.”

Mozambican companies will receive personalized feedback to highlight strengths, identify opportunity areas and provide practical recommendations for overall capacity development. MozUP EDC hosts seminars and business training sessions on project and contractor procurement procedures.

MozUP EDC includes access to and training on Area 4’s dual language (Portuguese and English) web-based Supplier Registration Portal that allows suppliers to self-register and provide an indication of their respective goods, services and capabilities specialization. The portal was launched in November 2018 and currently has over 2,046 suppliers registered of which 77 percent are Mozambican-registered entities.

As of October 2021, 72 seminars  have been delivered at MozUP EDC covering introduction to LNG; safety; security; health; environment; procurement processes/requirements; legal literacy for SMEs; access to financial products and services; principles of business ethics and anticorruption; as well as an eight-week financial management, human resources and compliance courses. To date, 1,909 participants have been trained representing 1,345 companies. Seminars and courses are currently being delivered through a mix of in-person and live webinars due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“Guaranteeing active participation of local companies in the business opportunities is a priority of the government,” said Minister Ernesto Max Tonela of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy.

MozUP EDC is operated by Mozambique Enterprise for Sustainability, Limitada (MES), a joint venture between DAI – a global social and economic development firm – and Mozambican implementing partner, Taciana Peão Lopes & Advogados Associados.

“We are excited to be working on such an important project with the Area 4 partners and the government of Mozambique,” said Barbara Habib, general manager of MES. “We look forward to developing small-and-medium enterprises, harnessing their entrepreneurial spirit to support Mozambique’s economic development.”

The Area 4 partners have invested US$3.0 million to establish and operate MozUP EDC for the first two years. Additional local and international cross-sector institutions and operators are encouraged to subscribe to the MozUp EDC to create a sustainable, multi-stakeholder platform that can support other projects and industries into the future.

###

About Area 4

Area 4 is operated by Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A. (MRV), an incorporated joint venture owned by ExxonMobil, Eni and CNPC, which holds a 70 percent interest in the Area 4 exploration and production concession contract. In addition to MRV, Galp, KOGAS and Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos E.P. each hold a 10 percent interest in Area 4. ExxonMobil is leading the construction and operation of the natural gas liquefaction and related facilities on behalf of MRV, and Eni is leading the construction and operation of upstream facilities.

About MozUP

Funded by Area 4 partners and implemented by Mozambique Enterprise for Sustainability (MES, a Mozambican company), MozUP is an Enterprise Development Center that serves as a platform to support the growth and development of Mozambican enterprises in all sectors, including the energy sector.  The objective of MozUp is to develop the capacity of local SMEs to become competitive and able to provide services in the LNG industry and other growing sectors in the country. MozUp offers various services to SMEs, including business assessments, training, coaching, mentoring in compliance with Occupational Health and Safety requirements, certification, creating opportunities for business linkages, and providing information on accessing finance. To learn more about MozUp, please visit www.mozup.org, and to participate in activities, please register on the Rovuma LNG Supplier Registration Portal (https://mz.rovumalngsrp.com/).