The call for tender can be found on under the reference EuropeAid/126731/M/ACT/HR.

The priority issues for 2007 involve the provision of consultancy essential for enhancing competitiveness and increasing exports through strengthening of SME’s technological capacity and cooperation as well as developing and applying best practices to:

1. Establishment and incorporation of procedures for the testing and certification of Croatian products in order to ensure compliance with International Quality standards.
2. Improving the marketing, promotion and presentation of Croatian products within the EU single market.
3. Providing / organizing training for staff in technical, marketing and quality assurance departments in order to ensure that the companies have human resources able to meet and implement the requirements needed to enhance their competitiveness and exports on the Single Market.

Therefore the following actions are eligible:

• Consultancy essential for enhancing competitiveness and export (e.g. standards, accreditation, certification, quality assurance systems, conformity etc.);
• Product testing necessary for obtaining relevant standards/ conformity for export production;
• Benchmarking for exports (to study the business activity of the relevant sector in Croatia and EU in order to position the enterprise against relevant competitors as a basis for its main exporting strategy);
• Preparation of marketing and advertising strategies for increasing awareness of Croatian exporting products;
• Promotion and placement of new exporting products (e.g. brochures, campaigns, presentations, etc.);
• Branding, design, packaging, etc. of products (e.g. adapting existing/introducing new exporting product to the market, analysis of product’s life cycle, designing the product, design and safety of packaging, creating the product name, designing the trademark, product management and brand management, product / product group /brand positioning on the market, warranty/service);
• Training for technical staff to enhance competitiveness and exports;
• Information, market research, e-commerce (e.g. web sites);(e.g. collecting and analysing information on specific foreign markets, which are of the interest of the company, with the aim of determining export opportunities and strategies of entering the foreign market or developing the existing export. Market research would include collecting and analysing market information related to specific exporting products of the company. E-commerce should include preparation and organisation of Internet based goods/services sales of the company);
• Matchmaking / B-to-B(business to business) activities (e.g. consulting service related to match-making of the company with potential foreign partners in order to expand the company’s export markets);
• Participation in international fairs and events (individual or collective exhibiting at the finternational trade fair or exhibition, abroad or in Croatia.).

Any grant awarded under this programme must fall between the minimum amount of EUR 50.000 and the maximum amount EUR 100.000.

For further information
EuropeAid