Competitiveness Fund
The competitiveness fund aims to support and improve the capacity of Albanian SMEs so that they are able to meet the demands of the international market, as well as increase employment. This fund is financed from the state budget and was established in 2007 according to the relevant DCM for three-years periods. Now, it operates according to DCM no. 24 dated 20.01.2016 for the “Establishment of the Albanian Competitiveness Fund”.
The Albanian Competitiveness Fund has provided a budget of ALL 28,000,000 per year (approximately EUR 228,000 / year), to finance a Grant Cost Sharing Scheme to support SMEs and their efforts to compete in the foreign market. The objective of this initiative is to help Albanian companies penetrate their exports to foreign markets, providing the necessary financial support for activities that will help implement their marketing plan for export. The enterprises that will be assisted by this fund are micro, small or medium enterprises with an export focus.
The main areas covered by the fund are production and service, more specifically:
- Active processing industry sector (fason);
- Light industry sector;
- Agro-processing sector;
- Research and development sector.
For more information see the link: http://aida.gov.al/fondi-i-konkurrueshmerise/