Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in every economy in terms of employment and income generation. Although small firms generally account for the smallest share of total employment in the formal sector in developing countries, research and international surveys show that on average companies with less than 100 workers generate the same overall share of employment as do large firms. Although large firms drive global value chains (GVCs), a large share of the value added embodied in products that are generated by GVCs originates in SMEs. Advances in information, communications, and transport technologies are increasingly permitting SMEs to export directly and to sell goods and services to buyers in foreign markets. Thus, although most of the production of SMEs is sold locally, there are increasing opportunities for small firms to harness international trade opportunities. A key requirement for SME growth and trade expansion is that firms become and remain competitive. The proposed 2.5-day training course for the ITC staff in Geneva has focused on enhancing the understanding of the determinants of SME competitiveness and the potential for public policy interventions and Aid for Trade to assist SMEs in developing countries to participate more in international trade, both indirectly by supplying goods and services to firms that are part of GVCs, and directly by exploiting new technologies such as e-commerce. The basic focus of the training was to inform ITC’s trade related technical assistance (TRTA) activities.