The Project

The project entitled “RE-thinking MICROcredit as a tool to support SMEs and boost LOCAL economies” and acronym REMICRO LOCAL is being implemented within the Cooperation Program INTERREG V-A GREECE-BULGARIA 2014-2020 with a total budget of € 567,310.60.

The project aims to develop cross-border cooperation between project partners, who will exchange good practices and work together to address the issue of empowering existing and new businesses in the cross-border area.

The main project activities will focus on the offer of business support services such as mentoring / coaching sessions; masterclasses & workshops aimed at providing business training; info points for the provision of continuous support of the stakeholders regarding entrepreneurship issues; networking activities between entrepreneurs etc.

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Background

Business training opportunities although are already offered today by existing entrepreneurship support centers and facilities, they are mainly concentrated in the metro areas of both eligible countries, leaving rural areas underserved. At the same time, there is low demand for CB area entrepreneurs for support services for the establishment of new enterprises and for the development of new products/services which is perhaps related to the luck of such support services.
The project focuses on the establishment of favorable business environment as a prerequisite for sustainable development in the CB area. Therefore, project partners having identified the above as constraints for the economic development of the area, aim to establish six business support centers in the regions of Thessaloniki, Serres, Kavala, Komotini, Smolyan and Haskovo.

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Objectives

The project’ overall objective is the development of a cross border scheme composed of business support organizations that will exchange good practices and cooperate with a goal to jointly tackle the issue of empowering existing and new businesses in the cross border area. This will be achieved by improving the supply of high quality business support and capacity building services tailored to their specific needs so that they enhance their competences and grow. The services will tackle challenges such as the access to information, external cooperation and partnerships, acquisition of entrepreneurial knowledge and entrepreneurial training. Furthermore, the project will focus on the transfer of innovation as vehicle for the development and growth of the local businesses by organizing networks, training and soft actions with the participation of innovation experts and organizations. Partners through their joining forces will achieve to:
• Stimulate business creation as well as strengthen business survival
• Enable existing and potential entrepreneurs to acquire the necessary skills, enhance competitiveness and introduce innovation
• Encourage social entrepreneurship and start‐ups.
• Support micro entrepreneurs through linking them with microcredit providers
• Facilitate transfer of knowledge
• Contribute to E2020 strategy by granting special attention to the “smart growth” “sustainable growth” and “inclusive growth” goals
• Increase employment opportunities in the programme area and reduce brain drain

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Target-group

Owners / employees of small and very small businesses
Start-uppers
Social entrepreneurs
Second chance entrepreneurs

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Activities

The project will offer the following business support activities:
a) Coaching sessions
b) Entrepreneurial training activities (Masterclasses & workshops) that include:
• Sector-specific training programs with a focus on productive priority areas including agro food industry, waste management, renewable energy, and sustainable tourism that have also been documented as the most dynamic business sectors by RIS3 strategies
• “Internationalization and exporting opportunities” training program
• “Training program for second chance entrepreneurs -restarters”
• Coding classes
• “Training programme for start uppers”
c) Business support actions (e.g. personalized support, networking events, B2B meetings, Access to investment- financing)
d) Business support tools (Blockchain-based credit scoring, e-matching platform)
e) “Doing Business”- Info points for start uppers
The selection of the participants to all the training activities as mentioned above will follow open procedures respecting equal rights.

The final conference of the REMICRO LOCAL Project was held at SEREXPO on the occasion of Interreg Cooperation Day

The final conference of the project “RE-thinking MICROcredit as a tool to support SMEs and boost LOCAL economies” with the acronym “REMICRO LOCAL” which was held on Thursday September 21, 2023 in the city of Serres as part of the SEREXPO Festival, was successfully completed. The conference “opened” Mrs. Vicky Bitsiou, who represented the Serres […]
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    The Project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and by national funds of the countries participating in the Interreg V-A “Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020” Cooperation Programme. This webpage has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of the webpage are sole responsibility of KEPA and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union, the participating countries, the Managing Authority and the Joint Secretariat.
    COPYRIGHT 2022 REMICRO LOCAL