Supporting SMEs to become more competitive in the EU market

Detailed description of project

The overall objective of the project was to maintain sustainable growth and increase competitiveness of private sector and provide a healthy business environment for investment and employment.

The purpose of the project was to strengthen the capacities of METE and AIDA (former Albinvest) to develop, implement and monitorAlbanian SME policy in order to provide entrepreneurship and innovation programmes to SMEs.

The results achieved:

• Albanian Business Relay andInnovation Centre (BRIC):

• • The Albanian BRIC established and functioning;
  • BRIC strategic and operational plan developed;
  • BRIC organisational and financing structures established;
  • Technical assistance for BRIC staff development and capacity building action and initiatives undertaken.

• Albanian Innovation and Technology Strategy:

• • Investigation and analysis of Albania’s innovation and technology ‘requirements’ and most appropriate approach and mechanisms for addressing these;
  • Development of the Albanian Innovation and Technology Strategy – with recommendations, an action plan together with budget and financing plan;
  • Publication and dissemination of the Albanian Innovation and Technology Strategy.

• Training Needs Analyses for Albania’s SMEs:

• • Bi-annual TNA methodology and approach developed;
  • Technical assistance provided to undertake the initial bi-annual SME TNA;
  • Technical assistance provided for the processing of data and information, analysing the TNA results; producing results, findings and recommendations;
  • The collation of data, results, findings and recommendations in a report and the report’s subsequent publication.

• National Competitiveness Programme for SMEs:

• • A review of existing Albanian SME competitiveness training materials, programmes and providers undertaken;
  • Development of “competitiveness” training modules;
  • Training of trainers and / or consultants (a minimum of 30 persons);
  • Provision of competitiveness training programmes / initiatives to Albanian SMEs;
  • Development of a National Competitiveness Programme monitoring and evaluation structure.

• Albanian SME Development Programme:

• • A “pipeline” of SME entrepreneurship and competitiveness fiches and/or projects to be established;
  • Provision of support and technical assistance to METE in discussions and negotiations with donors.
• Type of services provided
• Establishment of an effective operational Business Relay and Innovation Centre
  • Development of the BRIC’s strategic and operational/action plan
  • Assist the BRIC to take part in EU Community Programmes, such as FP7 and CIP;
  • Recruitment of appropriate BRIC management and staff for the Centre, together with their subsequent training and development.
• Development of an Innovation and Technology Strategy
  • Analyse of current innovation and technology transfer activity and practical benchmark this against other West Balkan states to establish performance indicators;
  • Identifies a national vision for innovation and technology, identifying strategic priorities and goals, together with associated outputs and indicators;
  • Determines and articulates the appropriate innovation and technology priorities;
  • Establishes the framework, the regulatory, governance, legislation required, and determines resources (financial and human);
  • Determines the Strategy’s implementation (action plan together with budget and financing plan) and subsequent monitoring and evaluation procedures.
• Undertake of Training Needs Analyses for SMEs
  • Undertake a review of existing training providers and their programmes;
  • Develop an appropriate bi-annual TNA structure and methodology (which may be repeated in subsequent years), conduct the first TNA; process the data; analyse the survey results; make appropriate recommendations.
• Development of National Competitiveness Programme for SMEs
  • Undertake a review of existing competitiveness training materials and programmes;
  • Develop of competitiveness training modules for SMEs;
  • Undertake training of training in competitiveness issues;

   

  Name of client:
• 
  METE, AIDA (former Albinvest)