The Foundation for Small and Medium Enterprises Development – Kumanovo for ten years now has been actively involved in the implementation of the Programme for supporting entrepreneurship, competitiveness and innovation of SMEs (and in particular the government programme INFO DESK), for providing non- financial support to SMEs in the region of Kumanovo, Kriva Palanka, Rankovce, Kratovo, Staro Nagoricane and Lipkovo.
Responsible for coordination of the activities and reimbursement of the costs for the completed contractual activities is the government agency, Agency for promotion of entrepreneurship of the Republic of Macedonia. The goal of the programme is to provide information and advisory services in the specific agreed activity from the Info Desk Programme, implementation of
assistance programmes, information and advice of potential entrepreneurs and SMEs, and other activities that form the basis of a research on the needs of the entrepreneurs in order to create tools and measures for their more qualified and rapid evelopment.
The possible information and advisory services that the Regional Centre Kumanovo through the Info Desk Programme has provided to customers in the region (existing businesses and potential entrepreneurs) are as follows:
• Information on possible forms and institutions for entrepreneurs’ training;
• Information and counseling in the area of business assistance and
financing;
• Information and advisory services for potential consulting assistance for
solving specific problems in the working process;
• Information and advice on investment opportunities in the region, export
opportunities, business contacts and other information and advice;
• Information on opportunities for participation and application in domestic,
foreign and cross-border projects;
• Information and advice on financial sources;
• Information about trade fairs, trade missions and business forums in the
country and abroad;
• Information on the European Enterprises Network (EEN) and dissemination
of information on SMEs inclusion in the European Business Cooperation Department
(BCD) and the European network for innovation, e.g. technology transfer (BBC)
• Information on the region potentials;
• Other business information, consulting and online researches;
The Foundation for SMEs Development in the period from April to September 2016 through the Info Desk project has provided advisory services to 64 legal entities (existing entrepreneurs) in the region and beyond.
The project for this year will be implemented until November 2016.