1. Common borders. Common solutions.

2. OKA was established by the decision of the Council of Ministers
Common borders. Common solutions.
OKA was established by the decision of the Council of Ministers
on November 10th, 2008

3. Common borders. Common solutions.
TR83 NUTS II Region is composed of 4 cities, Samsun, Amasya, Çorum and Tokat.

4. Common borders. Common solutions.
Our Vision:  An internationally respected institution aiming  at making the Region the gate of Turkey opening to the Black Sea, with increased living standards, ecologic sensitivity, competitiveness and fast development.
Our Mission:  Successfully implementing necessary plans, programs and activities in order to maintain sustainable development in the areas of economic, social and cultural life, together with our stakeholders in Middle Black Sea, as well as developing ourselves and our Region with a participative governance understanding.

5. Common borders. Common solutions.
Duties of the Agency are as follows:
- Providing technical support to the planning activities and duties of local authorities,        - Supporting the activities and projects ensuring the implementation of regional plan and programs,        - Contributing to the improvement of the capacity of the region and supporting the projects within this extent as well,        - Monitoring other projects implemented by public sector, private sector and non-governmental organizations in the region and considered as important in terms of regional plan and programs,        - Improving cooperation between public sector, private sector and non- governmental organizations to achieve regional development objectives,         - Carrying out research activities concerning the determination of resources and opportunities of the region

6. Common borders. Common solutions.
Agency office equipped with all necessities
for 36 personel,
open office design,
meeting room with 40 people capacity
Interview rooms for guests
4 investment support offices in 4 cities
With office rooms
Meeting halls
Archieve areas
IT Server Rooms

7. Common borders. Common solutions.
Organizational Structure
TOKAT
DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD
SECRETARIAT GENERAL
PLANNING,
PROGRAMMING
& COORDINATION
UNIT
PROGRAM
MANAGEMENT
MONITORING &
EVALUATION UNIT
HUMAN
RESOURCES &
FINANCIAL
SERVICES UNIT
INVESTMENT
SUPPORT
OFFICES
AMASYA
ÇORUM
SAMSUN

8. Common borders. Common solutions.
Administrative Board of OKA is consisted of governors of all the provinces, mayors of metropolitan municipalities or mayors of provincial municipalities where there is no metropolitan municipality, Chairman of the Provincial Council and Chairman of Chambers of Commerce and Industry as one for each province.

9. Common borders. Common solutions.
Development Council
Development Council is composed of 100 members representing four provinces of the Region in a balanced way.
The objective of the Council is enhancing cooperation among public institutions, private sector and non-governmental organizations in the Region.
From 2009 to 2013, 14 Development Council Meetings have been organised.

10. Common borders. Common solutions.
Total number of staff is 47 including
Secretary General,
Internal Auditor,
Legal Advisor,
30 experts in different units,
5 support staff,
9 staff provided by outsourcing

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Regional Plan of TR83 All of our studies, works and supports are carried out according to YEŞILIRMAK BASIN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.

12. Common borders. Common solutions.
Research Reports

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Workshops
Workshops in different subjects like tourism, health economy, agriculture have been organised with the particpation of related public & private institutions, universities, NGOs

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International Relations
EURADA Membership
OKA became member of EURADA on 20th of April 2010
OKA is represented in EURADA Board of Directors for period.
WAIPA Membership
OKA became member in 2011 and participates to annual meetings.

15. Common borders. Common solutions.
Study Visits
Study visits to other regional development agencies to observe best practices and formulate future partnerships have been carried out by Members of Administrative Board and OKA staff

16. Total Grant Budget: 5.800.00 Euro Projects suported: 76
Common borders. Common solutions.
Support Programs
Starting from 2009 OKA has operated 4 call for proposals which provided nearly 24 million Euro of grant to 300 projects
2009 Financial Support Program for The Increase of Competetiveness of SMEs
Total Grant Budget: Euro
Projects suported: 76
Total Investment: Euro

17. Common borders. Common solutions.
2010 Financial Support Programme for Small Scale Infrastructure
Total Grant Budget: Euro
Projects suported: 36
Total Investment: Euro

18. Common borders. Common solutions.
2011 Financial Support Program for Increasing The Competitiveness of SMEs:
Total Grant Budget: Euro
Projects suported: 65
Total Investment: Euro

19. Common borders. Common solutions.
2011 Financial Support Program for Improving The Human Resources
Total Grant Budget: Euro
Projects suported: 30
Total Investment: Euro

20. Common borders. Common solutions.
Guided Project Support
“Samsun Fair and Congress Center”
The first guided project to be financed by a RDA
Total budget: 12 million TL
Grant Contribution of OKA: 7 million TL
The second Guided Project Support Project “Çorum Technology Park” was approved by Ministry of Development in 2012

21. Common borders. Common solutions.
Direct Activity Support
Direct Activity Support to feasibility reports, research activities, preparation of strategic documents.
Up to 100% of the project budget is supported
From 2010 to Direct Activity Support Program implemented
Projects Supported: 37
Grant provided: 1,5 million TL

22. Common borders. Common solutions.
Technical Support
Trainings in technical subjects are provided to institutions, organization and NGOs to increase institutional capacity
In 2012 a total of 31 technical support activities have been carried out and 1654 technical staff participated to trainings

23. Common borders. Common solutions.
Applied PCM Trainings
To increase project creation capacity of regional stakeholder, PCM trainings have been organized since Until 2013 more than 20 trainings have been carried out and total number of participants exceeded 300.

24. Common borders. Common solutions.
MIDDLE BLACK SEA DEVELOPMENT AGENCY FIGHTS AGAINST INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT
The project supported by Ministry of Labor and Social Security within Human Resources Operational Program.
Implementation between 2010 and 2011
Total Grant achieved Euro
80 young unemployed person trained as machinery operator

25. Common borders. Common solutions.
INCREASING COMPETITIVENESS OF TR83 REGION
Increasing Competiveness of TR83 Region Project is one of the projects approved under the scope of Regional Competitiveness Operational Program.
The contract between OKA as the applicant institution and Science, Industry and Technology Ministry as the Program Authority was signed on February 1st, 2012.
The total budget of the project is Euros
Implementation period is 32 months.

26. Common borders. Common solutions.
SAMSUN LOGISTICS CENTER PROJECT
The Project “Samsun Logistics Center” is one of the projects approved under the 4th project package of the Regional Competitiveness Operational Program.
A Logistic Platform was established to coordinate logistic issues of the region.
The estimated budget of the project is more than 20 million euros.

27. Common borders. Common solutions.
Investment Support Offices
Investment Support Offices in Amasya, Çorum, Samsun ve Tokat cities established in 2010
In each office 2 experts are working
Investment Support Offices provide;
Technical guidance to investor
Information about investment procedures
Issue Investment Promotion Document
Organize meetings with local actors

28. EU AFFAIRS SEMINAR Common borders. Common solutions. OTHER ACTIVITIES:
WOMEN AT WORK CONFERENCE
A conference together with the World Bank in Samsun. Here, we discussed the World Bank reports “Expanding Opportunities for Next Generation: Life Chances” and “Women’s Labour Force Participation in Turkey: Trends, Determinants, and Policy Framework” as well as the current situation of Women’s Employment in TR83 Region.
EU AFFAIRS SEMINAR
Secretariat General for EU Affairs gave detailed information about its structure, and responsibilities, Accession Negotiations of Turkey , Pre-Accession Financial Assistance and 7th Framework programme.
MIRRORING EU AND TURKISH RDAs
The Association of Regional Development Agencies (EURADA) and OKA organized this Seminar in Samsun.The aim was to share best practices on Regional Development and to create an atmosphere where newly established RDAs in Turkey can derive some lessons for future. RDAs from Turkey and Europe (Belgium, Italy, Poland), Government Institutions, Universities and NGOs attended to this Seminar. It was also particularly a good opportunity for the Regional Development Agencies in designing effective future roadmaps.
Common borders. Common solutions.

29. BUSINESS INCUBATORS IN TURKEY
Common borders. Common solutions.
BUSINESS INCUBATORS IN TURKEY

30. Common borders. Common solutions.
Business Incubator in Turkey is a new concept. There are organizations, which work as a business incubators, such as Business Improvement Centers, Technoparks, Technology Development Zones and ABIGEMs.

31. Common borders. Common solutions.
“The Business Improvement Centers” or ISGEMs shortly.
The Business ımprovement Centers applications have been realized by the coordination of the Privatization Administration and the Small and Medium Industry Development Agency under the Privatization Social Support Project. External financial resource of this project is World Bank.
The development objective of this project is to support the achievement of the objectives of the Government’s Privatization Program, mitigate the negative social and economic impact of the privatization of state-owned enterprises and monitor the social impact of the Economic Reform Program.

32. Common borders. Common solutions.
From the year of 2003, it has been established 12 Business ımprovement Centers including Samsun. The Business Improvement Centers have 382 businesses capacity totally and so far 258 businesses have been acting actively under market conditions in these business incubator centers. If we account successfully graduated business from the Business ımprovement Centers also, we can say that they have been employed nearly 2000 workers directly up to now.
In this study, The Business ımprovement Centers are surveyed as of establishment objectives, presented services and supports, organizational partners, strategies and factors in establisment and operations of them, sources of financial support presented to the business and financing of business costs.

33. Technoparks in Turkey – A Collaboration of Academia and Technology
Common borders. Common solutions.
Technoparks in Turkey – A Collaboration of Academia and Technology
Techno Parks are organized research and business centers where academic, economic and social structures become integrated and universities, research corporations and industrial foundations league together for innovation studies, information and technology transfer.
Techno Park according to the definition of UKSPA is an enterprise that establishes a formal relationship with a university, high education board or a research center; designed to involve necessary conditions for technology companies and corporations to grow and have a management that leads companies to transfer their technological and industrial skills.

34. Common borders. Common solutions.
Techno Parks that are used as a crucial tool of development in Developed Countries for a long time came into the picture in Turkey in mid-90s. The legal regulation of Techno Parks has been provided with the law of ‘4691 Technology Development Areas’ effectuated in 2001 and ‘Technology Development Areas Application Regulations’ effectuated in 2002 and promotions are provided for these areas.
Following the law, 43 Techno Parks have been declared and 32 of them started active business. The constitution studies of 11 of them are proceeding.
Techno Parks in our country are achieving significant work with limited financial sources in less than 10 years period of time.

35. Technology Development Zones (TDZ) or as we called “TEKMER”
Common borders. Common solutions.
Technology Development Zones (TDZ) or as we called “TEKMER”
The objective in passing Technology Development Zones Law No was the development of special investment areas for investments involving high technology. This law came into force on July 6, 2001 to regulate the support of Research and Development activities as sources of innovations in production. Eight of the 18 Technology Development Zones established in Turkey are currently operational.

36. Common borders. Common solutions.
Under the regulations of January 2, 2004, major tax advantages were provided to companies operating in TDZs. Technology Development Zones Law No.4691 defines TDZs as: 'Sites integrating academic, economic, and social structures at or near the campus of certain universities; advanced technology institutes; an R&D centers or institutes; or a Technopark involved in these same areas of work.
They are sites where companies using advanced technology or companies with a new technological orientation, produce and develop technology or software by through the facilities provided by the organizations mentioned above. They are involved in activities which transform a technological innovation into a commercial product, method or service and by this means contribute to the development of the region.'

37. Common borders. Common solutions.
ABIGEM
The pioneering of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) in cooperation with the related Chambers of Trade and/or Industry has established EU Turkish Business Centres (ABIGEM) in Gaziantep, Kocaeli and İzmir with the European Union (EU) funds in 2002.
Taking into account the success of the previously established ABIGEMs as a profitable and sustainable investment, “Expansion of the European Turkish Business Centres Network Project” started on May 2008 and expanded the ABİGEM network to 15 by establishing a further 12 Business Centres throughout Turkey with European Union funds. One of these centers is located in our Region, the city Çorum. The total EU financial investment in the network is reaching 50 million euros.

38. Common borders. Common solutions.
ABIGEMs provide professional trainings and consultancy services in order to help SMEs to improve their competitiveness within the national and international markets and increase SMEs’ contribution to the local and national economy. ABIGEM services such as training, consultancy services and sectoral projects design according to regions’ properties and needs of SMEs in the region. Moreover, ABIGEMs contribute to develop qualified local consultants and to create a pool of experts in Turkey.

39. Common borders. Common solutions.
In our region there are 6 business incubators.
In Samsun : 1 Techno park,1 TEKMER, 1 ISGEM
In Çorum: 1 Techno park (in establishment phase with support of OKA), ABİGEM
In Tokat: ISGEM (in establishment phase)
In Amasya: There hasn’t been any such organisations yet.

40. THANK YOU! Contact Person: Merve GUVEN
Common borders. Common solutions.
THANK YOU!
Contact Person: Merve GUVEN
Adres:  Kale Mahallesi Şükrüefendi Sok. No:2 Kat:3 İlkadım/SAMSUN/TÜRKİYE Tel   : +90 (362) Fax   : +90 (362) Mail : Web :