Doğu Marmara Kalkınma Ajansı/ East Marmara Development Agency

East Marmara Development Agency (MARKA)  is a typical Public Institution, vested with a special legal entity, prepares regional development strategies with providing coordination and cooperation between public sector, private sector and non-governmental organizations in its  comprising five provinces (Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu, Yalova), conducts works  for the purpose of proper and effective use of resources and potentials of the region to accelerate the development of East Marmara and to strengthen its situation in global competitiveness.

Governors, Mayors, Provincial General Council Presidents and Chamber of Industry and Commerce Presidents of the provinces in the region, effectuate the Executive Board.

Development Council consists of the representatives of universities, public institutions, private sector and non-governmental organizations in the region and act as the Executive Board’s advisory body.

Secretariat General, is the executive body of the Agency, carries out activities by qualified staff who has expertise in their fields, good command of foreign language and experienced public and private sector.

Provides coordination and cooperation among public sector, private sector, non-governmental organization and universities with the advantage of the legal basis and the power.

Prepare regional plan, determine regional development strategies, plans the regions future within the framework of the national development plan.

Provides financial support to entrepreneurs in line with these strategies.

Provides technical support for the development of public institutions and civil society organizations.

Guide entrepreneurs who want to invest in the region, follows the process in one-stop by the Investment Support Offices.

Promotes potentials, business and investment opportunities of the region on national and international platforms, directs investments to the region.

The East Marmara Development Agency is a sui generis public institution, vested with a special legal entity and responsible from the TR42 NUTS-2 Region consists of Kocaeli, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu and Yalova provinces of the Republic of Turkey.

Its ExCom is made up of 20 high-ranking local administrators from East Marmara provinces including governors and mayors. MARKA, with a staff over 40 people, carries out mainly four core functions, i.e. leveraging local governance by promoting interactivity among local stakeholders, conducting regional planning in concert with provincial and national plans, funding promising projects in line with regional priorities outlined in regional plans as well as investment promotion (mainly inward). To meet these objectives MARKA works in close collaboration with its regional partners and other RDAs through networks as well as with central government.

MARKA is active in EU & International relations and vigorously strives to promote those of Regional stakeholders. To this end, MARKA has established an active Region-wide communication network and is an associate member of EURADA. Despite being a fairly young organization, since its inception MARKA has been taking part in a number of significant projects funded under EU programmes including FP7 Regions of Knowledge (InTraRegio Project), CIP ICT-PSP (OASIS Project), LLP and IPA. EMDA’s priorities for EU and international affairs.