Innovation Fund
Background
The Innovation Centre Kosovo (ICK) promotes and supports the development of new businesses that contribute to economic growth and job creation. ICK is supported by Swedish Embassy in Pristina and SIDA.
The GIZ project “Creating Employment through Export Promotion – CETEP” aims to enable micro, small and medium enterprises in employment relevant sectors to make use of the potentials of international markets. The project organizes its interventions into four fields of action along the needs of the private sector in the sectors such as agriculture, ICT and manufacturing. The fields of action are: business-related information, market-oriented business services, product and process innovations, and export promotion. In terms of product and process innovation, the GIZ CETEP shall provide financial support to MSMEs through the “Innovation Fund” grant scheme. Innovation Centre Kosovo (ICK) in collaboration with GIZ project “Creating Employment through Export Promotion – CETEP”, and support of Ministry of Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Kosovo will provide financial support to SMEs through the “Innovation Fund” grant scheme.
The grant award will be made in cooperation with Management Structure (CETEP) and Steering Committee.
Objectives
The objective of the “Innovation Fund” grant scheme is to attract the most innovative ideas with potentials for export and employment creation for micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs).
The specific objectives are:
- Creation of employment and support of the labor market in Kosovo
- Increase competitiveness of the private sector/MSMEs in Kosovo
- Improve existing/new products, processes and services through innovation
- Increase export of Kosovar products and services
The “Innovation Fund” grant scheme shall identify good practices and innovative success stories, develop knowledge products, and disseminate the information within the existing network.
Financial support
Any grant requested under the “Innovation Fund” grant scheme must fall under the maximum amount of €50,000.00 (1:1 with matching funds contributed by the beneficiary).
The call for applications will be administered in three cycles:
• First cycle was announced in 2018 and five projects were awarded.
• Second cycle was announced in 2019 and eight projects were awarded.
• Third call is announced in 2019.