Promoting SME competitiveness and networking in Slovenia
Slovenia has published a call for tenders under the Commission's Phare programme for a contract to strengthen small and medium sized enterprise (SME) competitiveness through networking and cooperation. The contractor will provide technical assistance and on-the-job training for the local team of experts, who will in turn provide assistance to SMEs on developing clusters and networks as well as on developing and implementing common projects initiated by the clusters. The target group and main beneficiaries are SMEs, (with up to 50 employees) in selected production and other sectors, which will benefit through cooperation with other SMEs in the Slovenian-Italian border regions and through better access to business development support services (research and innovation, human resources development and market promotion). Special emphasis will be given to the creation of partnerships between universities, research and development centres and small and medium sized enterprises on both sides of the border to stimulate the creation of a local cluster framework and to assist the transfer of the innovation process and/or product technologies between SMEs.For further information, please contact: Small Business Development Centre Dunajska 156/VIII 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia Tel.: +386 1 589 18 39 Fax: +386 1 589 18 18