The main activities and benefits foreseen by SMEs which received EIMC services are as follows:
a) Improved internal processes
b) Clarification of company´s goals/targets for next 3 years and steps to be taken to reach them.
c) Improved work with customers (better knowledge of customer needs)
The project team assumes the following impacts on the entire society mainly social impacts (almost four-fifths SMEs saved jobs and one fifth has increased the number of employees) and economic impacts (almost half of SMEs maintained turnover and more than half increased turnover).
Both project partners were active in developing new support tools and programs for Czech SMEs – e.g. for the companies which received the Seal of Excellence - national programme Seal of Excellence GAMA supported by Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and the regional scheme “SME-Instrument Brno” was initiated and then implemented by JIC. TC AV and also JIC were in regular contact with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic to discuss the possibility to introduce nation-wide scheme for Seal of Excellence holders, phase 2 or support for applicants as well. Companies which were selected and offered EIMC services were also offered regular EEN services such as internationalization and/or partnership services etc. if those were relevant for the needs identified during the needs analysis. Relevant EIMC clients were introduced to SME-Instrument program.
Although this project was very successful, valued highly by participating companies in many cases (especially in WP2), overall budget for Czech Republic was significantly reduced in 2016 due to low success rate of Czech companies in SME Instrument (WP1), which slowed down the activities covered by this project in 2019, lower its impact, and as outcome likely further decrease the success rate of Czech companies in SME Instrument/EIC. That may result in the overall lower collaboration of Czech companies in the programme.
Both partners tried to address low interest in SME-Instrument programme by individually addressing potential applicants and organising several workshops and seminars in cooperation with EASME, NCPs and other stakeholders (e.g. EEN, national and regional agencies). It proved to work to a certain extent, because about 3 of later SME-Instrument beneficiaries participated in these workshops or advisory meetings before successfully applying for SME-Instrument grant. Especially, the close cooperation with the Czech NCP proved to work well.
