REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT AGENCY – Kardjali, Bulgaria CENTER FOR SUPPORT OF THE ECONOMY Kardjali, Bulgaria With the Support of the German Technical Assistance for Bulgaria, GTZ GmbH In partnership with Kardjali Municipality and the District Governor of Kardjali District 2005

Created in March 1998, Regional Economic Development and Investment Agency focuses on supporting entrepreneurship, ensuring local entrepreneurs with specialized information and consultation services supporting the small and medium sized business and strengthening the marketing principles in the East Rhodope region in southern Bulgaria. REDIA’s mission as a non-profit NGO is to, regionally, promote the creation of new private enterprises; and to assist owners of small and medium sized businesses in their efforts for financial stability, growth, and entry into the world market through technical and financial assistance. Mission

Main Goals Assistance and support of the economic development of East Rhodope region; Creating regional strategies for global economic development and economic sector development and assistance for their implementation; Development and implementation of projects for optimal utilization of local resources for stimulating the entrepreneurship in the region; Undertaking and implementing initiatives to popularize the region and attract national and international investments; Supporting and stimulating the introduction of Management Systems, under the requirements of the international standards and raising the competitiveness of the companies and organizations;

Encouraging and supporting the small and medium-sized enterprises /SME/ through: Training the management staff of SMEs; Developing business programs and projects; Business consultations, informational services and methodical support for entrepreneurs. Assistance for including the entrepreneurs in programs for SMEs crediting. Ensuring access to credit institutions and credit lines; Providing consultations and developing economic analyses; Providing specialized services for SMEs, marketing and advertisement of markets and businesses. Development and implementation, independently and in partnership, of projects for improving and development of the regional infrastructure. Main Goals

Starting the CSE project Since the beginning of 2003 REDIA works over a project “Center for support of the Economy”, with the financial and consultancy support of German Technical Assistance for Bulgaria – GTZ GmbH, Eshborn, in the frames of the program “Encouragement of the Economy and the Employment” within the framework of the program “Support of the Economy and the Employment”. Partners of the project are District Administration Kardjali and Kardjali Municipality.

Opening of the Center All partners combined their efforts for supporting the small and medium-sized enterprises in the region, and the partners have declared their will with the signing of an agreement for the project implementation.

Activity directions of the Center Participation in the development and realization of regional policy in partnership with the local and regional authorities and all interested parties. Encouraging the regional dialogue. Supporting the development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) and their preparation for the competitive European Business Environment.

Regional Policy Participation in the District Council for Development – Kardjali and the Standing employment commission; Participation in the establishment and activities of the District Council of Energy Effectiveness; Active work with local and regional authorities: Training for Mayors and Chairmen of Municipal Councils within the framework of the District Council for Development, in connection to the preparation for EU membership. Training of experts from Municipalities and District Authority in development and implementation of projects, under Pre-accession funds’ programs.

Development and introduction of the first Quality Managements Systems under ISO 9001:2000 in local and regional structures; Partnership and joint activities with regional associations of municipalities – RAM “Maritsa” and Association of Rhodope municipalities; Participation in the establishment of “Balkan Forum on Quality” and in two sessions of the forum with international participation, in “Public Administration” panels; Individual consultations to Municipalities in their development of projects under Programs Phare and SAPARD. Regional Policy

Issued and spread free of charge are “Manual for SME wanting to start their own business” and “Manual for Business plan development”; Issue of periodical “Information Business Newsletter”; Creating an Information desk - “One-stop-shop” on the basis of KIOSK product, for providing information about all procedures, concerning the administrative servicing of the business and entrepreneurs; Creating and releasing REDIA web-site, that contains useful and actual information for the region, SME and potential investors; Developing a services’ packs for: Starting business; Sable SMEs, working on the regional market; Stable SMEs, working on external markets or with a potential for stepping into new markets; Support of SMEs

Services’ pack for starting business: Consultations for the kind of the juridical subject of the business (juridical form); Informational services for registration procedures, relations with the Tax Administration, National Insurance Institute, Local authorities, Credit Institutions, Internet information etc.; Assistance in Business plan development and its evaluation; Technical assistance for translations, telephone, fax, , copying services etc. Support of SMEs

Services’ pack for stable SME on regional market: Consultations on applying the requirements of the harmonized national legislation; Consultations for improving the management, business planning; Assistance in the development and implementation of Projects financed by the Pre-accession instruments; Assistance in the marketing, and activities supporting cooperation on regional and branch principles;

Services’ pack for stable SME working on external/foreign markets or with a potential for stepping on new markets; Assistance in the development and implementation of Projects financed by the Pre-accession funds; Applying the requirements of the European and international standards and preparation for conformity verification under these standards (ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001:1996, OHSAS, HACCP, AVE, Ecotext 100 etc.); Developing and applying Integrated solutions for management, on the bases basis of ERP-software; Consultations on building of VPN and other network solutions, encouraging the one based on software with open code (Linux); Support of SMEs

Sustainability of the Center for Support of the Economy Team-building: Impartial selection of the main personnel - consultants; Continuous training: The international project consultant – Mr. Karlheinz Zahn; Additional qualifications and re-qualifications; International accredited specialized courses; Specialized GTZ trainings – InWent Program; Transfer of good practices and positive experience, networking, sharing our opinions with partners: BARDA networking; Partners and institutions from EU member countries – InWent – Germany; DESMOS – Greece etc.

Sustainability of the Center for Support of the Economy Maintenance of REDIA’s Quality management System under the requirements of ISO 9001:2000: Clearly defined Policy and Aims of our organization; Management of the services providing processes; Striving for continuously elaboration and improvement; Focus on our clients needs – Local and regional authorities, SMEs;

Sustainability of the Center for Support of the Economy Development of partnership, publicity and transparency: Setting up partners’ relations with all interested parties: Local and regional authorities; Local and regional media (with the support of GTZ) Regional associations of municipalities; Regional employment, professional and branch associations; Regional associations and business centers – BARDA, EURADA; Scientific and academic structures – Re-qualification Institute of UNWE, Sofia and Plovdiv University etc.; Companies, providing professionally consultancy services; Aim: Transfer of information, recourses, experience, joint initiatives and implementation of project.

Sustainability of the Center for Support of the Economy The Center - Today Permanent team of 7 experienced consultants and over 10 part time experts; Engagement for management of two business incubators – Kardjali and Madan; Active work for including of REDIA in the group of applying the AVE approach; Strengthening the capacity of the Center for Support of the Economy, REDIA, Kardjali and undertaking practical activities for creation of a regional crediting/guarantee instrument for SMEs.

PUBLICITY, TRANSPARENCY, PARTNERSHIP

Center for Support of the Economy 41 “Bulgaria” Blvd., floor Kardjali, BULGARIA Phone: +359/ 361/ Fax: +359/ 361/ Chairman: Mr. Rumen Genov Executive Director: Ms. Anita Tagarova