News/Press

A Ukrainian software company has won a €1.22 million grant from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 innovation and research programme for a product that could save semiconductor firms millions of euros by eliminating faulty chip manufacture. Polyteda Cloud is receiving the grant towards a two-year project, " Innovative Cloud-Based PV Workflow for Semiconductor Foundries ”, as part of a...
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and EU4Business are providing loans and investment support to the Ukrainian pharmaceutical producer Ecopharm, so that it can build a new export-oriented manufacturing facility in the town of Slavuta in Khmelnytskyi region, western Ukraine . A seven-year loan from the EBRD , worth up to €3.6 million, will also help buy state-of-the-art...
An EU-backed programme enabling the European Investment Bank to further enhance its support to SMEs in Ukraine and other Eastern Partnership countries was launched at a conference in Kiev on 10 February. The goal of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) Initiative East programme is to strengthen economic development in the target countries by providing financial and technical...
The Science and Technology Entrepreneurship (STEP) programme has launched a new funding cycle to provide tech start-ups with money to get their products to market and create new ventures. STEP funds teams of scientists, researchers, engineers working in fields like Biotech, CleanTech and engineering. Those that receive grants will get: Access to seed funding Mentoring and network opportunities...
Video of press conference
New grants are now available to Armenian SMEs through the project ‘ Support to SME Development in Armenia’ ( SMEDA). Co-financing is available in under two strands of SMEDA: Innovation Matching Grant (IMG). Grants of €30 000-€50 000 Science and Technology Entrepreneurship (STEP) . Grants of €15 000 Companies must be SMEs working in the technology sector (for example in engineering, Cleantech or...
Improving SME regulations in Ukraine
Ukraine
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The FORBIZ project focuses on improving the regulatory framework for SMEs in Ukraine and strengthening government-private sector dialogue Ukraine’s Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the EU Delegation to Ukraine have launched FORBIZ, a leading business support project in the framework of the EU4Business initiative funded by the EU. FORBIZ focuses on three areas: improving regulatory...
€50 m financing for innovative companies
The EIF has signed an agreement with ProCredit Bank in Ukraine to finance innovative companies to the tune of €50 million The European Investment Fund and JSC “ProCredit Bank” have signed the first agreement in the framework of the project “InnovFin” (EU finance for innovators) – an initiative supported by the European Commission, aimed at raising funds for the development of innovative projects...
Global competitiveness key for Georgian SMEs
A new financial package from the European Union is bringing new opportunities for Georgian SMEs and supporting their operations abroad The EBRD has allocated a USD 50 million credit facility in the Georgian national currency, the lari, to Bank of Georgia. The financial package is to help local SMEs invest in improvements to product quality and modernise their services to meet EU standards, said...
New law on SMEs enters force
Moldova
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Approved by the Moldovan Parliament, it defines a new legal framework for SMEs in Moldova and includes measures to stimulate the sustainable development of the sector The new legislation, approved by the Parliament and published in the Official Gazette, will come into force in the last quarter of 2016. It replaces the current law on development of the SME sector, defining a new legal framework...
OECD EURASIA WEEK
The six Eastern Partnership countries are all members of the Eurasia region of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and as such participated in the 3rd OECD Eurasia Week, held in Paris from 22 to 24 November. They are also all members of the OECD Eurasia Competitiveness Roundtable, which also met during the Paris week and acts as barometer of the progress they have...