Paper Title
RISK MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO SMEs IN THEIR INTERNATIONALISATION PROJECT: THE CASE OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF CANADA

Abstract
In an era of growing globalization, internationalization, emerges as an interesting strategic option for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) aiming to grow, to enhance their performanceand to benefit from international business opportunities. Several difficulties can be associated with this strategy and would make it challenging for this kind of companies to reach the objectives of venturing into new markets. In fact, they would encounter several risks, especially in emergent countries, leading to failures in achieving their goals.This justifies our research objectives; whish focus on identifying and analysing these risks and on exploring the business practices used to face them. To reach these objectives, our study employed a qualitative research approach based on the experience of a Quebec-based government organization, Economic Development Canada (EDC), wish is dedicated to assisting SMEs in their international activities and venture. Using mainly a semi-structured interview with a development agent from the chosen organisation, we explored what are the critical risks encountered by SMEs when adopting internationalisation project in emergent countries and how this support entityhelped them in mitigating and controlling the identified risks. The research underscored the value of support services in reducing internationalization risks for SMEs and the importance for them in benefiting from the expertise of the development agents in dealing with these risks..The findings reveal a pronounced reliance on operational and informational support, indicating a significant demand for precise market insights and actionable advice. Support services was found to predominantly address internal challenges such as managers commitment and lack of international experience, as well as external risks like cultural differences and legal and tariffs aspects. The comprehensive risk analysis in this study and the spotlight on support services bring valuable insights to the literature on SME internationalization, while it offers practical guidance for SMEs in dealing effectively with risks. Keywords - Internationalization, SME, Risks, Risk Management, Support Services.