|
Country: |
Regional |
|
Title: |
Balkans Enterprise Facility
(BEF) |
|
Objective: |
Support for SME development in
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia and Kosovo
Province |
|
Description: |
Managed by IFC, and funded by IFC
and the governments of Austria, Canada, Greece, Netherlands,
Norway, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland, the BEF will:
-
assist individual enterprises to obtain
expansion capital and strengthen their managerial and
technical operations; especially their capacity to
implement investments;
-
in collaboration with the World bank,
research, promote and support improvements in the business
enabling environment;
-
manage and support innovative SME training
and education initiatives in collaboration with regional
provate sector service providers; and
-
support the gathering and dissemination of
knowledge and information relevant to the private sector,
including specific pilot Internet and e-commerce
commercial initiatives.
|
|
Preparation Status: |
Commencing
implementation May 2000 |
|
Rationale for Donor Support: |
Second pillar
(investment climate) and third pillar (business support)
programmes directly benefit SMEs and facilitate their ability
to access financing from local and international financial
intermediaires. Donor funds which enhance the operational
market for SMEs and/or help to improve their institutional and
commercial capabilities provide important synergies for First
pillar (finance) support. |
|
Amount Required: |
$35 million over about 5 years |
|
Borrower/Final Beneficiary |
The beneficiaries will be the
SME business receiving technical support under the programme.
Alternatively local research or government bodies may benefit
from support to public SME research or policy reform work. |
|
Major Sector/Project Issues: |
Effective coordination and
linkage with SME financing
Administrative control and management |
|
Contact numbers: |
|
|
Funding and Project enquiries: |
Max Aitken, IFC,
Budapest Fax: 36-1-374 9597 |
