News

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Serbia will be able to boost their competitiveness thanks to a new EBRD programme combining targeted and grant-supported investments.

The EBRD SME Competitiveness Programme is providing a €40 million credit line that two local partner banks, UniCredit and Banca Intesa, will offer to local SMEs. In addition, borrowers will be able to benefit from European Union grant incentives worth 15 per cent of the total investment.

Find more information about the initiative here.

The Western Balkans Summit Poznan 2019 took place on July 3-5, where the Ministers of foreign affairs, internal affairs and economy convened on July 4 and on the day after the heads of states and governments discussed key issues concerning Western Balkans. The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn opened the Berlin Process for Western Balkan with the participation of the Forum for Business and Civil Society.

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On 7 May 2019 in Sarajevo, the Western Balkans Enterprise Development & Innovation Facility (WB EDIF) held its second SME Forum in the region. The Forum, hosted by the EBRD and coordinated by the European Commission and the European Investment Fund (EIF), brought together key stakeholders from the private and public sector, Chambers of commerce, International Financing Institutions and entrepreneurs to discuss the challenges and opportunities for SMEs in the Western Balkans to grow and develop.

A brand new quick snapshot brochure on the WB EDIF has been prepared to give a presentation of the WB EDIF at a glance. Companies in different stages of their life have different needs where the WB EDIF support can step in with different financial instruments and support services to help them grow and develop.

New WB EDIF Success Stories booklet is now available, with new stories and interesting case studies and interviews. Providing nest-to-sky financing and support for small and medium sized enterprises in the Western Balkans.

The Western Balkans Summit Poznań 2019 will take place on July 3-5 at the Poznań International Fair. Ministers of foreign affairs, internal affairs, and economy will convene on July 4. A Leaders’ Summit will take place on July 5 – heads of states and governments of partners to the Berlin Process will discuss key issues concerning Western Balkans.

WB EDIF will be presented during this Summit, among other with the presence of a stand, promoting the various instruments and programmes it has to offer.

More information about the Summit can be found here.

WB EDIF PAG meeting will for the first time take place within the WBIF Steering Committee, taking place on 25th and 26th of June in Berlin. This is the first step in the integration process of the WB EDIF under the WBIF umbrella. During this meeting the WB EDIF will be introduced to the broader WBIF audience and showcase the main results and achievements to date.

New edition of the WB EDIF Annual Report has been released during the SME Forum in Sarajevo on 7 May, 2019.

On 7 May 2019 in Sarajevo, the WB EDIF held its second SME Forum in the region. The Forum, hosted by the EBRD and coordinated by the European Commission and the EIF, brought together key stakeholders from the private and public sector.

EUR 10m of guarantees to improve access to finance for SMEs in all Western Balkan Beneficiary Economies that will address youth unemployment in the region is now available under “the EU for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in the Western Balkans”. Read more