News/Press

OTP Leasing has been a well-established market player in Ukraine for a decade
New EBRD finance and EU4Business grants in DCFTA boost for Ukrainian SMEs
Ukraine
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13/09/2018
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a local currency loan of up to UAH 324 million (€10 million equivalent) to OTP Leasing (OTPL) in Ukraine for long-term leases to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the country. SMEs will also benefit from grant funding of up to €1 million available under the European Union’s EU4Business initiative, which helps...
Ready to Trade: Production efficiency training for Belarusian clothing enterprises
Belarus
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10/09/2018
Staff from Belarusian clothing enterprises have taken part in an eight-day training on production efficiency organised by the International Trade Centre and the Belarusian Fund for Financial Support to Entrepreneurs, as part of the EU4Business project ‘Eastern Partnership: Ready to Trade’. The training took place in Minsk from 27 August to 5 September and was aimed at production and management...
Many agricultural businesses have received support under PARE 1+1
1,246 Moldovan businesses funded through ‘PARE 1+1’ programme since 2010
Moldova
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06/09/2018
A total of 1,246 Moldovan businesses have received funding under the EU-funded PARE 1+1 programme since 2010, with total grants of 242.4 million lei trigerring further investments worth 767.7 million lei, the Interlic news website has reported, quoting a government press release. The programme has helped open 538 new businesses - mostly in rural areas, and to create 3,200 jobs. Programme...
Peter Michalko, Head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova
Four years on from DCFTA, 68% of Moldova's exports now go to the EU
Moldova
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06/09/2018
Sixty-eight per cent of Moldova’s exports now go to the European Union, the Head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova Peter Michalko has said in a message released to mark four years since the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between the EU and the Republic of Moldova. In his message, Peter Michalko said: "there are good results both in increasing...
Participants at the Women Entrepreneur’s Club
Armenian women entrepreneurs gather in Yerevan
Armenia
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04/09/2018
Around a hundred women gathered for the second Women Entrepreneurs' Club, organised in Yerevan by the EU-SMEDA project on August 30. Leading women entrepreneurs representing Creative Industries , Tourism , IT and Business Consulting gathered to exchange their experience, build new business connections and cooperation opportunities in a format of free networking and 'Speed Business Dating' around...
EU4Business STEP grants
Tech start-ups in Armenia: apply now for EU4Business grants and mentorship
Armenia
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03/09/2018
The EU4Business ‘ Support to SME Development in Armenia ’ (SMEDA) project, in cooperation with the Enterprise Incubator Foundation, has launched the second cycle of its grant competition under the ‘EU4Business Science and Technology Entrepreneurship (EU4Business STEP) programme – Business Development Support for innovative technology Start-ups’. The deadline for applications is October 1. The...
Minsk Transit Bank and Belarusky Narodny Bank are important providers of SME and retail finance in Belarus
EBRD provides first local currency loans in Belarus
Belarus
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03/09/2018
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending its first-ever local currency loans in Belarus by providing lines of credit to its long-term financial intermediaries Minsk Transit Bank (MTBank) and Belarusky Narodny Bank (BNB-Bank) for on-lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the country. MTBank and BNB-Bank, both well-established providers of SME...
EU concludes agreement on €45 million Macro-Financial Assistance package for Georgia
Georgia
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03/09/2018
The European Commission has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Georgia for Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) of up to €45 million to help Georgia cover part of its external financing needs and support economic reforms. “Georgia has shown strong and lasting commitment to economic reform, which the EU has consistently supported and fostered,” said Pierre Moscovici, EU Commissioner for...
Ukraine: EFSE partners with PJSC Kredobank by investing in SME-dedicated local-currency bonds
Ukraine
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22/08/2018
The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE) has provided financing in Ukrainian hryvnia (UAH) equivalent to €10 million to the Lviv-based PJSC Kredobank. This includes a UAH 250 million (€8.2 million) investment in local bonds issued by the bank, making it the largest non-government bond investment in Ukraine in 2018. With a strong presence in Western Ukraine, Kredobank stands out as a top...
‘Successful Start’ programme
New rounds of ‘Successful Start’ business support programmes launched in Armenia
Armenia
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21/08/2018
The EU4Business project for ‘ Boosting competitiveness of regional SMEs ’ in Armenia is launching the second and third rounds of its ‘Successful Start’ programme aimed at start-ups, SMEs that have been in business for the last three years, and job seekers in business managerial positions, in the regions of Armavir, Lori, and Syunik. The targeted sectors of the programme are food processing and...