Established in 1983 the Association for Craft Producers (ACP) is a leading craft based, non-profit professional organisation. Established by Meera Bhattarai, with a group of five people and a few producers. ACP provides designs, markets, management, and technical services to low income, primarily female, craft producers. The ACP began to develop gradually from small beginnings to its present stage. Now about 50 staff members reach out to more than 1,000 producers throughout the country.

The ACP conceived of the sale of handicraft as a unique means of freeing the country from the grip of extreme poverty and particularly for using a large work force of women with skills and potential. It strived to change the traditional notion of crafts to one of meaningful, regular productive activity through training, motivation, organisation, and guidance.

To date, they have supported 1,000 producers in different sectors of craft production. Some have traditionally been in the crafts, whereas others have been newly trained to take up craft activities. From the onset of the their activities until the fourth year of operations, ACP received financial and technical support from various agencies, mainly to cover establishment costs, working capital, construction, research and development, and equipment. With a gradual increase in sales, both export and local, ACP headed towards self-reliance form its fourth year onwards. It has been able to sustain itself throughout a period of more than one decade now.

PRODUCTS AND TARGET MARKET
ACP began its venture with the marketing of home furnishings the techniques used included block printing and embroidery. The ACP has gradually diversified its product lines into tableware, kitchen textiles, knitwear, copperware, leather goods, floor mats, clothing, toys, paper crafts, Christmas decorations, wooden products, ceramics and basketry. Some products, such as cushions, bed sheets, tablecloths, kitchenware, rugs, and mats, have been adapted to foreign tastes, whereas others, such as felt shoes and copper products, are primarily based on traditional technologies. Among the most successful items using innovative ideas are copper and knitwear products.