News/Press

Georgian firms shift production to meet pandemic challenge
Georgian firms shift production to meet pandemic challenge
Georgia
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05/05/2020
Packaging producer meets local demand for protective gear with help from EU under its EU4Business Initiative and UNDP Nearly 40,000 protective face shields produced by the Georgian company CaucasPack will be provided to frontline healthcare staff, local civil servants and other at-risk personnel in Tbilisi and Georgia’s regions through programmes implemented by the United Nations Development...
EU provides UAH 123.5 mln to entrepreneurs from Donbas under EU4Business FinancEast programme
EU provides UAH 123.5 mln to entrepreneurs from Donbas under EU4Business FinancEast programme
Ukraine
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29/04/2020
The EU-funded FinancEast programme has announced the results of first four months of its operation. From December 2019 to April 2020, the European Union provided UAH 123.5 million in subsidies and compensation to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the government-controlled territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The programme provides for the reimbursement of up to 50% of...
COVID-19: Weekly Digest on Impact on SMEs in EAP (30 April)
24/04/2020
Armenia 167 loan applications from SMEs worth 1.6 billion AMD (about US$ 3.3 million) have been approved as of April 16, 2020. Under the effective job support measure for entities with 2-50 employees, another 1.2 billion AMD (about US$ 2.5 million) was disbursed as one-time grants. Read More The Asian Development Bank predicts 2.2% economic growth for Armenia , the World Bank keeps it lower – 1.7...
An online workshop for the Georgian SMEs from hazelnuts and dried fruit sectors
Georgia
 | 
24/04/2020
On April 16, 2020, International Trade Centre's Eastern Partnership: Ready to Trade project organized an online workshop – "EU export marketing customer communication and preparing for the recovery from COVID19” - for their beneficiary companies. The workshop was conducted by James Fitzpatrick, an expert in trading, importing and developing supply chains globally. Twelve Eastern Partnership:...
EBRD and EU4Business offer free learning opportunities for business
Ukraine
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23/04/2020
Since March 2020, entrepreneurs can learn at online-events of the Business Information Support Centers (BISCs) and the Merezha online platform. Business Information Support Centers have already reoriented 10 out of 40 planned events to the online format: Management effectiveness program for medical centers; Sectoral Program of Business management in the health and beauty industry; Training "...
OECD launches SME Policy Index 2020 assessing conditions of doing business in the EaP region
21/04/2020
A new OECD report on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) policies in the six countries of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) finds that recent years have seen substantial progress in creating better conditions for SMEs but that governments can do more to create a competitive level playing field for firms of all sizes. Anti-corruption, competitive neutrality and better monitoring...
Rapid coronavirus response in Ukraine: from blouses to face masks
Ukraine
 | 
17/04/2020
Santa Ukraina swiftly switches manufacturing following EBRD and EU support Hundreds of fashionable dresses, blouses and skirts are the garments that textile producer Santa Ukraina usually manufactures and ships to European retail brands every day. But the coronavirus has transformed its work: “We realised very quickly that now was the time to act,” explains Evhen Dyrdin , CEO of Santa Ukraina. “...
COVID-19: Weekly Digest on Impact on SMEs in EAP
17/04/2020
Armenia The Government reopened some sectors of the economy . While Armenia extended the state of emergency for another 30 days restricting movement of people, it relaxed some industries such as open-air construction and cigarette manufacturing. Read More The Armenian economy loses 51 million USD daily because of the coronavirus. During the first month of the state of emergency Armenia will lose...
EU4Business Weekly Digest of Reports on Economic Impact on SMEs in EAP
14/04/2020
Armenia The spread of coronavirus disease "due to anti-epidemic measures will significantly reduce Armenia's economic growth in 2020," the CB analysts said. In 2020, economic growth will be 0.7% and will recover in 2021, reaching 7.2%. https://bit.ly/civilnet-am Coronavirus caused $134 million damage to the tourism industry of Armenia in the first quarter of 2020. The State Tourism Committee...
EU4Business project helped up to 100 Georgian SMEs connect in business clusters for better access to the EU market
Georgia
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12/04/2020
Up to 100 Georgian SMEs are now in a better position to take advantage of the benefits that the free trade agreement between the EU and Georgia provides via joining business clusters. With support from the EU4Business Initiative of the European Union SME Development and DCFTA in Georgia Project supported establishment of three business clusters in Georgia and laid a groundwork for the other two,...