How to make good applications for greater utilization of the funds from the Fund for Innovation and Technological Development was the topic of the event organized by the Macedonian Chambers of Commerce (SSK) for the member companies in cooperation with the Fund for Innovation and Technological Development (FITR).
In front of the present companies, the director of the Fund Mr. Jovan Despotovski will detail the measures from the Economic Growth Plan, more precisely Pillar 3: financial support (co-financed grants) for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises for innovation and technological development, translated into the Medium-Term Program of the Fund for Innovation and Technological Development.
Aleksandar Zarkov, executive director of the Union, emphasized that the goal is through the interactive discussion companies to get first-hand information on all phases in the application process, the criteria, where to focus on preparing the project, submitting and receiving the envisaged funds for its realization .
“At the meeting there are companies from more sectors, service activities, law firms, consulting companies, industry, ICT and everyone in their domain is interested in using the measures through an application with an innovative project that should improve their functioning with ultimate goal growth and development of the company. The areas identified by the Union as being strategic for providing support for increasing the quality of products, acquiring certificates of quality, energy efficiency, research and development, marketing and new packaging, introduction of new products or services, increasing the capacity employees and so on. What is detected as a challenge for companies is a possible lack of capacity for developing a quality application, “said Zarkov, adding that it is precisely for this reason that the Union, in cooperation with the Fund, will locate the dilemmas that companies have in the process of application for the preparation of a quality plan.
At the event it was emphasized that the financial support of SMEs is an opportunity to stabilize the economic situation of companies, a support that is always needed especially for micro small and medium enterprises that are important for the development of national economies because they contribute to reducing unemployment, and through the development of new technologies they can be a factor and a driver of economic growth. Having in mind all this, it is of utmost importance to maximize the use of the funds from the Fund for Invasions that should propel the economy and influence the increase in the number of employees