Client: EAR
Country: Republic of Serbia
Period: Dec 2004 – Oct 2007

The overall objective of the project is to assist in the creation of a framework for the development of a sustainable, internationally competitive and export oriented SME sector through enhanced effectiveness of government SME policies and instruments aimed at activating and enhancing private sector enterprise.
 
Specific objectives were:

• Strengthen the capacity of all relevant national and local actors to design and deliver sound and cost effective enterprise development policies and programmes, in order to more competitively respond to the needs of the business community, including support the commitment of Serbia to meeting the terms of the European Charter for Small Enterprises. 
• Assist the institutions of the Government of the Republic of Serbia in the implementation of the “Strategy for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises 2003 – 2008”.
• Develop effective consultation structures to provide an effective dialogue between the government and the business community.
• Improve the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of the existing SME support structures to provide quality business development services, with the goal of ensuring sustainability without EU funds.
• Build up the institutional capacity of the MoE, MoS, RASME, and other stakeholders to develop and implement a strategy and policy framework for innovation based on partnership.
• Improve the competitiveness of enterprises by stimulating an increased involvement of Serbian enterprises in funding and undertaking on a regular basis innovation, technology transfer and development, and research and development.
• Stimulate an increase in the number of start-up businesses. Facilitate new enterprise establishment through the creation and further development of an environment that is business-friendly and conducive to new investments.

Services provided:

• Capacity building for enterprise and entrepreneurship development and implementation of the European Charter for Small Enterprises and national SME strategy
• Improved co-operation methodology and procedures for transformation of political priorities into effective measures for Serbian authorities developed dealing with enterprise development and entrepreneurship. 
• Trained 60 persons of involved ministries, social partners, and local/other institutions on development of enterprise and entrepreneurship policy and methodology for co-operation bringing the experience of at least 3 EU and selected Member (present and new) States.  
• Establishing policy co-ordination mechanism.
• Preparation of series of papers on specific aspects of enterprise reform adopted by the Government and implemented.
• Produce relevant statistics on the SME sector
• Development of new enterprise support schemes developed (eg credit and capital, consulting services, information, market access, technology, technical assistance and training, etc) 
• Developed proposals for improvement of existing legislation and regulations
• Organisation of study tour(s)