In early October, the third meeting of entrepreneurs, experts from the NGO sector, universities and industry organisations took place within the framework of the project “Efficient support services portfolios for SMEs” (ESSPO). The topic of their discussion was the challenges of building a sustainable and transparent business environment for innovative companies.
Experts from the Applied Research and Communications Fund presented new data and analysis on the innovative activity of Bulgarian enterprises. Entrepreneurs and representatives of industry organizations discussed the possibilities to solve the problems related to the evaluation of the proposals under the 8th session of the National Innovation Fund (NIF) in the work of the Bulgarian Smaill and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA). Participants in the discussion also examined the changes in the rules and the new opportunities for funding startups and innovations with European funds.
One of the participants’ recommendations was that the National Innovation Fund should continue to exist as part of the SME Agency. They also support one of the EC’s recommendations that the NIF should be established as a separate independent entity.
Entrepreneurs called on the institutions to ensure a transparent, sustainable and predictable business environment that reduces the risks to innovative activity.
In the framework of the project “Efficient Support Services Portfolios for SMEs” (ESSPO), experts from 8 European countries analyse the challenges of effective support for SMEs. The Applied Research and Communications Foundation is analysing the Bulgarian experience under the National Innovation Fund.
The aim of the project is to analyse the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of SME support instruments in eight European countries. ESSPO started in January 2016 and will end in December 2020.
Read the summary of the project results here.
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