SME Project

Objective 1

To strengthen the strategic partnership between small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and municipalities through planning the municipal development based on development of the SMEs that are located within the municipal territorial borders.

Intensive training courses were provided.

Expert's workshop program for local authorities and business entities that will produce LIP with a focus on municipal social infrastructure was established.

LIPs and business plan drafts were developed.

Conferences on municipal investments and human settlements development in Ukraine were carried out to share good practices in the area.

Program of training sessions for local authorities and business entities that will produce R/LIP with a focus on municipal social infrastructure was elaborated.

248 key decision makers from local governments and oblasts' leading enterprises passed through the training in "Investment Management in Self-Governance" based on the UN-Habitat methodology.

123 Local Investment Programs (LIP) at the level of local governments were developed as a tool for community income generation.

701 business project drafts were developed as the key LIP implementation instruments and additional 1,888 investment projects were revised, all of which were integrated into the LIP.

As a result of implementation of 701 investment projects included in LIPs, the following quantitative results would be achieved:

• 32,389 working places created and 51,395 ones saved;
• 76,759 thous.UAH of additional budget revenues generated;
• 1,038 enterprises involved in the LIP;
• 155 human settlements covered by the LIP.

Tools and procedures for LIP implementation based on mutual responsibility of parties (Local Government, Investor, SMEs, Insurance companies) such as municipal letters of guarantee, securities, collateral etc. were developed.

The skills of local government target departments and SMEs on design and management of LIPs and investment projects as the instruments for the LIPs implementation were upgraded.

The knowledge and project experiences were bridged to other Ukrainian communities through organising 6 conferences (2 conferences annually)

The Regional Fund for the Support to Entrepreneurship "Ukraine-Habitat" was established with the purpose to enhance access of SMEs, participated in the LIP, to necessary resources.

Mechanism for replication of the project achievements to other oblasts of Ukraine was elabroated.

Methodology and recommendations for the elaboration of the LIP were developed.

Objective 2

To strengthen the capacity of local and central governmental institutions to facilitate regional development, improve SMEs management skills and transboundary cooperation for sustainable businesses development and to access information through the Internet

The skills of local government and SCURPE's target departments on design of municipal investment program and project tools for implementation of the programs were upgraded.

Transboundary cooperation meetings Ukraine-Romania and Ukraine-Hungary were carried out.

The access to the information resources was made available.

As a result of transboundary cooperation meetings Ukraine-Romania and Ukraine-Hungary the urgent transboundary environmental problems were identified and approaches for resolving them through multi-stakeholder cooperation and business involvement were suggested.

The UN Electronic Information Center started its work in July 2000 and its branches in Lutsk, Mykolaiv and Vugledar were established.

7 business consulting focal points in the regions to participate in the project were established and made operational.