“EU4Business – SME support programs

For eight months, training and expert consultations for entrepreneurs in Zhytomyr region have been ongoing as part of the “Capable Community for Business” project. This is a project implemented under the EU4Business: SME Competitiveness and Internationalization program.The project is funded by the European Union and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany. Today, on November 22, a final conference was held to summarize the results of the trainings. Consultations were also held for business and local government representatives.
The conference was attended by representatives of the Zhytomyr Regional State Administration, representatives of village and city councils of the project’s participating communities (Radomyshl, Malyn, Korostyshiv, and Brusyliv TCs), and entrepreneurs who participated in the project. Special guests of the event were Tetyana Anishchuk, Deputy Director of the EU4Business and Maria Gusakova.
Tetyana Anisimova, Deputy Director of the EU4Business: SME Recovery, Competitiveness and Internationalization Programme, said: “The city of Zhytomyr has been a partner of the EU4Business Programme for several years now, and it is a good trend to implement the project with the support of the programme in 4 more communities in Zhytomyr region, which have united to improve the business environment in their communities.”

In total, the project provided training and services to 183 entrepreneurs in Zhytomyr region. At the event, awards were presented to the most active entrepreneurs who were involved in project activities. Among them: “Radomyshl Bakery, Nahornykh Family Mill, KidsClubBrus Children’s Development Center, Venzhega Apiary and others.

4 communities of Zhytomyr region

“This project initially covered 4 communities in the Zhytomyr region: Radomyshl, Malyn, Korostyshiv, and Brusyliv. However, in the course of implementation, the area of cooperation increased. We received requests from entrepreneurs from other communities in the region,” said Margarita Siranchuk, acting director of the Zhytomyr Regional Development Agency.

According to project coordinator and project manager Vitaliia Klimentieva, this is a unique project that has shown the real needs of entrepreneurs for knowledge and expert advice. We worked with both business representatives and representatives of local governments. We developed guidelines for local governments on tools for developing the local business environment. We jointly created online channels for high-quality and timely communication between business and the community. We also developed business profiles for Radomyshl, Malyn, Korostyshiv, and Brusyliv territorial communities. During individual consultations with experts, the entrepreneurs gained valuable knowledge. Thay will help them develop their business and find new markets for their products, including abroad. The logos and catalogs developed in the project are already being used by entrepreneurs to advertise their goods and services and create their own brand.