ELCIM was initiated in 2001 by the Lebanese Government in order to improve the performance of Lebanese manufacturing enterprises.

Thanks to the encouraging results of the first phase (2001-2004), a second phase started in August 2005 with the main tasks of establishing ELCIM as a business support organization, which continuously advises and assists manufacturers in improving their performance on both national and international markets and in facilitating access to long-term financial resources.

ELCIM is co-funded by the European Union. It is part of the EU co-financed Integrated SME Support Programme (ISSP), which will help Small and Medium Enterprises in Lebanon by providing a combination of legislative, business development and financing support. Many institutions are cooperating in the framework of the ISSP and other EC-funded programmes, among them: The Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Economy and Trade, the Industrial Research Institute, KAFALAT s.a.l. (guarantee company), commercial banks, Business Development Centres (for established manufacturing SMEs and start-ups), QUALEB (quality programme), Sub-Contracting and Partnership Exchange, and the Cleaner Production Centre (CPC).