Establishment of Business Clubs for the enhancement of entrepreneurship in the cb area

Programme 2014 - 2020 Interreg IPA CBC Greece - Albania

Date of latest update: 2024-03-02

Description

Description (EN):

The needs and challenges of the c/b area in the field of sustainable economic development are basically related to the low productivity and low competitiveness. The level of patenting is very low in the c/b area and this goes also for the results of the scientific and technological findings, whose connection with entrepreneurship is rather limited. In addition, most of the operating businesses are not linked to international value chains, raising also the issue of exports. The situation is worsened by the serious "brain drain" faced not only in national level in the participating countries but also "“ and more significantly "“ in local level, towards bigger urban centers that offer more opportunities, especially to the young people. One of the most important tools towards sustainable economic development in the c/b area is the RIS3 pack of strategies that concern the Greek side, but their suggestions will also benefit the Albanian side of the borders. According to the priorities set in RIS 3 for Epirus and Western Macedonia, the focus should be on the development of Human Resources and ICT, on the enhancement of the "young" entrepreneurship and the boosting of competitiveness of SMEs. The common target markets for the 2 regions participating in the project are the agro-food sector, tourism and creative industry. The c/b area is in need of structures and facilities that will enhance the entrepreneurship and competitiveness in the area, especially towards those vulnerable to the risk of unemployment; women, young people, people with disabilities, etc. Business Clubs aim to provide a respond to this challenge. The "Business Clubs" project aims to establish business support facilities in 5 cities of the c/b area. The innovation and novelty of the Business Clubs lies in the location. Business Clubs will be set up in the center of knowledge and learning; the libraries. Each library will organize a specific space where the working positions will be set up. In addition, the beneficiaries will develop web tools that will allow the potential start-uppers to have access to particular resources according to the field of expertise, office facilities for a creative business environment, IT tools that can guide them through an effective management and the opportunity to interact with people in the same field, join groups and achieve contracts outside their local environment. The cross-border cooperation in this project will allow for the c/b area to commonly develop in the enhancement of entrepreneurship. The interaction of the start-uppers will allow the exchange of experiences and at the same time it will promote the actual cooperation in business level. Similar facilities may more or less exist at least in the Greek side of the borders. In the same time none of this is so easily accessed and approached as a library and certainly not so close to the participating border cities.

Website: https://2014-2020.greece-albania.eu/

Expected Results (EN):

The main results of the project will be: - Development of new business hosting facilities in the c/b area, in order to support entrepreneurship and allow for sensitive target groups to be activated in business sector. - To provide motivation for young people to stay in the c/b area and not head to urban centers. - To raise the productivity in the c/b area. - Reduction of "brain drain". - Enhancement of the practical implementation of patented products and research results with market potentials. - Reduction of enterprises not able to survive in the period of crisis. - To improve the capacity of local beneficiaries to support the business growth in the c/b area. These will significantly contribute to the aim stated for 2.2 on the enhancement of competitiveness and the support of entrepreneurship. The major and most important result will be the establishment of business support and hosting facilities in the c/b area, in small municipalities, where such facilities do not exist. This will allow for a significant boost in the local entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the libraries will acquire a new role; to practically promote all resources for the use of entrepreneurship. All of the above will result to an increase of start-ups in the c/b area and to the activation of sensitive target groups towards sustainable development. The Business Clubs will contribute to the result indicator of 2.2 through the activation of at least 25 start-ups during project duration and to double it within 5 years, including start-ups other than those of the pilot action. Since the info-days and trainings will be open, the project aims to reach even higher targets.

Expected Outputs (EN):

The main output of the project will be the development of 5 Business Clubs in the 5 libraries included in the project. In order for the Business Clubs to be operational and effective certain additional/ supporting outputs will be delivered: - Identification of the entrepreneurial status of the participating areas/ regions & strategic analysis on the entrepreneurial focus for the c/b area, based on RIS 3 and relevant documents elaborated or supported by the EU. - Elaboration of educational material and development of a business model for the participating entrepreneurs/ start-uppers - Development of a web information system for the new entrepreneurs that includes: access to sectoral and business libraries, search of good business practices, e-learning system, networking with other entrepreneurs and an electronic application for the simulation of business management and administration. This will guide the start-uppers towards a fruitful initiation of their business. - A pilot action where the support of at maximum 5 start-ups through each Business Club will be monitored - Trainings for the start-uppers - Study visits among the business clubs for the interaction of the start-uppers and the enhancement of their business cooperation. - A business contest will take place and the winner will get additional support by specialized external experts - 1 cross-border partnership for local development - Local info-days on both sides of the border for the information of the local stakeholders and a final conference The estimations of the projects effect on the indicator of 2.2 is to provide non financial support to least 25 start-ups during project duration and to double it within 5 years, including start-ups other than those of the pilot action.

Thematic information

SME and entrepreneurship

Specific Objective: Improve cross-border capacity to support entrepreneurship, business survival and competitiveness

Thematic Priority:

(g) Enhancing competitiveness, the business environment and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, trade and investment through, inter alia, promotion and support to entrepreneurship, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, and development of local cross-border markets and internationalisation

Partners (4)

Lead Partner: Municipality of Argos Orestiko

Address: Dioikitirou 35, 52200 Argos Orestiko, Greece

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.argosorestiko.gr

Total budget: EUR 213 204.00

IPA2 budget: EUR 181 223.40

Public Central Library of Konitsa

Name: Public Central Library of Konitsa

Address: New Municipal Market,, 45445 Konitsa, Greece

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.libkon.gr

Total budget: EUR 126 336.00

IPA2 budget: EUR 107 385.60

Municipality of Permet

Name: Municipality of Permet

Address: SQUARE "ABDYL FRASHERI",PERMET, Albania

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 76 543.40

IPA2 budget: EUR 65 061.89

Municipality of Kastoria

Name: Municipality of Kastoria

Address: Skaperdio Dimotiko Megaro, 52100 Kastoria, Greece

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.kastoria.gov.gr

Total budget: EUR 153 154.80

IPA2 budget: EUR 130 181.58

Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Establishment of Business Clubs for the enhancement of entrepreneurship in the cb area

Project acronym: Business Clubs

Project start date: 2018-02-01

Project end date: 2020-10-31

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 658 637.12

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 559 841.55

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 85.00%

Co-financing sources:

IPA/IPA II/IPA III: Amount, EUR 559 841.55.

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 Interreg IPA CBC Greece - Albania

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2020-07-22

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

65 / 65 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

293 / 293 (100%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme.

The financial data featured in keep.eu for this programme, it's projects and its partners is not exact and should be taken as a reference only.

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Establishment of Business Clubs for the enhancement of entrepreneurship in the cb area

Description

Thematic information

Partners (4)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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