FITTskills – Feasibility of International Trade
Project Requirements
The Project
To test your understanding of the knowledge and skills presented in the FITTskills Feasibility of International Trade
course, you must write a Feasibility Research Report for a potential international trade initiative. The research
report must outline the research taken to determine the feasibility of an international business opportunity for
either the company you work for or a fictitious company of your choice. It should relate to either an exporting or
importing opportunity for an existing or new product or service for an identified target market. Based on your
report, the organization reviewing it should have all the information it needs to determine the feasibility of the
particular international venture.
The steps to follow are:
1. Identify the potential international trade initiative, providing details on the product or service, whether
the opportunity is for export or import, and which market you plan to target.
2. Outline the research objectives, methodology and data sources used. Refer to Evaluation Criteria for
more details on each of these components.
3. Conduct secondary research to gather data, trends and facts to inform your report.
4. Collect, organize and analyze the research data.
5. Write a comprehensive research report to assess the feasibility of the potential trade initiative using the
Evaluation Criteria as an organizational guide.
Submission Format
1. Please submit your project (Feasibility Research Report) electronically via the Project Submission form
available in your FITT Student account (fittfortrade.com). Include all parts in a single document (PDF or
Word file) or zip-folder.
2. The project must contain a title page with:
a. the name of the company
b. the product or service and target market
FITTskills – Feasibility of International Trade
Project Requirements
© FITT 2
c. the course title (Feasibility of International Trade)
d. FITT student ID number(s) of the person(s) who prepared the plan. If you do not have a FITT
student ID, we recommend that you contact your coordinator. Please do not include your
name(s) or that of the training institute.
3. The acceptable fonts are Times New Roman (no smaller than 11pt) and Arial (no smaller than 10pt). Line
spacing must be 1.5.
Plagiarism is NOT tolerated. Evidence of plagiarism will result in a failed examination.
NOTE: The Feasibility Research Report must not exceed 25 pages (excluding title page, table of contents,
bibliography and appendices). Points will be deducted for additional pages according to the following scale:
Additional Pages Point Deductions
1 to 5 pages -2 points
6 to 10 pages -4 points
11 to 15 pages -8 points
over 16 pages -10 points
Project Guidelines
The CITPs who grade your project will be looking for several things, which you should keep in mind when
developing your project:
Present a well-organized, logical project that reflects both descriptive and analytical abilities. Consider
options and alternatives, make recommendations and explain your rationale for the selection. The
process of arriving at a recommendation or conclusion can be more important, in some cases, than the
recommendation itself.
FITTskills – Feasibility of International Trade
Project Requirements
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Structure the project in line with the Evaluation Criteria. Review the expectations related to each section
of the project and ensure you address these thoroughly. Look carefully at the grading scheme. In general,
if a section is worth twice as much as another, your project should reflect that proportion.
Remember that these projects are your opportunity to demonstrate learning, understanding and
retention of international trade concepts. Sometimes, considering an alternative and dismissing it (with
supporting rationale) can be very effective in demonstrating an understanding of the material.
Metrics and financials are important elements of any serious report or analysis. Descriptions are
important and qualitative analysis is valuable when properly done. Choose sources carefully and ensure
that your project is well-supported with data, metrics and financials. Also, be sure to quote the source of
all information and references provided.
Each project provides the opportunity to earn points for the “Overall Format” of the project (see
Evaluation Criteria). With minimal effort and a little creativity, you can make your paper visually
interesting. Use supporting graphics effectively, organize sections and titles to assist with flow and
readability and review grammar and spelling. Pay attention to the quality and organization of your
project.
Usage of Previous FITT Projects
If using information presented in a FITT project that you developed for another course, be sure to cite your own
work in the Bibliography. Also, be sure not to simply copy the information from previous projects into your current
project. It is acceptable to use research, layout, or conclusions drawn from previous FITT projects, but this
information should only be used as a starting point to meet the Evaluation Criteria of the current project.
Evaluation Criteria
An evaluator will mark your project based on the criteria below. A separate section for each component listed
here should be clearly identified in the plan. The maximum points per section is indicated.
FITTskills – Feasibility of International Trade
Project Requirements
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Criteria Maximum
score
This section should:
Executive Summary 6 Summarize the content of your report and the important aspects.
(Maximum one page)
Research Objectives 10 Define the business opportunity and outline the questions the research
aimed to address. These questions should consider the feasibility of the
proposed opportunity, including the viability of the import/export
transaction (cost of the transaction) and the risk of the initiative.
Explain why these issues are important in importing from or exporting
to the markets identified.
Research Design and
Methodology
10 Identify the type of research or research strategy selected to collect
the information needed. Describe which data sources and
methodology will be used to address each objective.
Presentation of Data and
Analysis
15 Describe the key trends, issues and challenges identified, including the
potential risks associated with trade in the selected target market,
detailed market intelligence and information on competitors.
Outline how the data collected helps to address the research
objectives.
Charts and statistical analysis may be presented to show trends,
forecasts and estimates.
Implications for Cost and
Pricing Analysis
10 Address how the information helps to refine a cost and pricing analysis
for the proposed transaction by highlighting how data collected allows
you to analyze the costs, elaborate a pricing strategy and assess the
overall viability of the transaction.
FITTskills – Feasibility of International Trade
Project Requirements
Criteria Maximum
score
This section should:
Implications for Risk
Analysis and
Development of
Mitigation Strategies
10 Address how the information helps to develop a more in-depth risk
analysis and to propose mitigation strategies.
Conclusion and Action
Plan
12 Tie all the sections together and provide the reader with a full picture
of the important issues for doing business in/with the selected market.
Present decisions on whether and how the organization should enter
the selected market (address the questions if and how the venture is
feasible).
Highlight any main challenges anticipated and any areas where
additional primary research may be beneficial (and how).
Overall Format
12
Be clear and organized. A table of contents, title page, bibliography and
appendices are required.
Acknowledge secondary sources. When using information from outside
sources, footnote the information on the page where the information
is used.
Look professional. The use of pictures, tables or graphs is
recommended for illustration purposes.
Remember that you are being tested on your knowledge of the
principles of researching the feasibility of international trade
opportunities and your ability to analyze data to assess impact on the
ability to do business in/with a specific international market.
FITTskills – Feasibility of International Trade
Project Requirements
Overall Project Value
The Feasibility Research Report is marked out of 85 and constitutes 100% of your final course mark with FITT.
Bibliography
Demonstrate the time and effort spent on research by providing a sound bibliography. List all the sources used in
the preparation of your research plan Chicago Manual of Style or APA formatting.
Appendices
Provide outside justification for the information contained in the body of the plan. Include titles of Appendices in
the Table of Contents. Avoid direct downloads of data from the Internet.