PROJECT NAME:
Regional Business Incubators’ Network
ACRONYM:
“Black Sea BI-Net”
PROJECT CONCEPT
In the light of economic situation in the project partner countries: Republic of Moldova, Turkey, Greece, Romania, Armenia, Ukraine – business support activities delivered in Business Incubation, which represents a process tending to be activated especially if there is a need to support entrepreneurs in developing their businesses, are of a great importance.
OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of the project is to accelerate the development of a productive and competitive economy and improve cooperation in the Black Sea region.
Therefore, the project will contribute to the:
$1· increase of the institutional capacity of the business support organizations, public authorities and business incubators in development and promotion of specific policies related to business incubation as a tool to support and strengthen start-up and innovation
$1· boost of the level of cross-country cooperation between business incubators, business support organizations, public authorities and incubated SMEs, and to improve the economic competitiveness of the Black Sea region.
MAIN PROJECT ACTIVITIES
· External communication and visibility actions (2 kick-off and 2 final conferences, 1 BI-Net launching event, web-page, brochures, CD’s and leaflets);
· Creation of Black Sea BI-Net (establishing the regional focus points and training them, organizing the workshop with participation of business support organizations (BSO), public authorities and business incubator managers to debate on public policies in the SMEs development area, develop the membership criteria and operational plan of the BI-net and launching the BI-net, developing the network development guidelines and local action plans for BIs development);
· Exchange of activities and sharing best know-how between the BI’s (needs assessment of the existing BI’s in the region and defining the common quality standards, organizing the 4 study visits in BI’s in 4 countries, organizing 4 training courses for the BSO’s, BI’s and public authorities on issues identifies during the workshop, developing the action plans for the identified nascent business incubators);
· Supporting incubated SMEs to internationalize (needs assessment of the incubated SMEs in the field of internationalization, 6 tailor-made seminars for the MSEs executives, B2B match-making and consultancy, international BI’s and SMEs forum, business networking event).
ESTIMATED RESULTS
· 1 regional BI Network created;
· Administrative capacities of the 96 business incubators (BI's) executives and BSO's to run and manage the institution improved;
· Best practices and experiences in BI management and SMEs promotion shared and absorbed;
· SMEs executives - residents of the business incubators - improved their skills and know-how in the field of exporting to the other Black Sea countries.
PROJECT FINANCING
The Black Sea BI-Net project is funded under priority 1 of the Programme: “Supporting cross border partnerships for economic and social development based on combined resources” of the Joint Operational Programme Black Sea Basin 2007 – 2013, financed from the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) and from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).
PROJECT TARGET GROUP
$1· Business support organizations (BSO)
$1· Public authorities (central and local)
$1· Business incubators (BI)
$1· SMEs - incubated and potential residents of the BI
$1· SMEs oriented towards external markets.
PROJECT DURATION
The Project started on 27th March, 2013 and will run for 24 consecutive months.
PROJECT PARTNERS
Moldova – Organization for Small and Medium Enterprises Sector Development (ODIMM)
Turkey – Middle Black Sea Development Agency (OKA)
Greece – European Regional Framework for Co-operation (ERFC)
Romania – Association of Cross Border Cooperation “Lower Danube Euroregion” (ACT EDJ)
Armenia – Small and Medium Enterprises Development National Center of Armenia (SMEDNC)
Ukraine – Regional Fund for Support of the Entrepreneurship of Zaporozhye region (RFSE)
