The project will work with local partners in Southeast European countries and build upon the established frameworks by developing the capacities of stakeholders, raising awareness about international standards and technical regulations thus ensuring the maximum impact of IFC's ISTR Program activities.
Partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
ISTR Program in Bosnia and Herzegovina has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Veterinary Faculty in Sarajevo, Department of food hygiene and environmental care. Both IFC and the Veterinary Faculty are aligned in the effort of information dissemination to food processing companies on HACCP International standard, through pilot roundtable, which will also be used as vehicles for identifying further specific company needs.
In addition, IFC and the Chamber of Commerce of Republika of Srpska have entered into a MoU to jointly organize HACCP and CE marking roundtables for Chamber's member companies in the Banja Luka region.
Partners in Albania:
ISTR Program in Albania cooperates with many governmental partners, donors and other technical assistance programs that are currently operating in Albania in order to better serve the needs of the private sector toward the international standards and technical regulations and to avoid any duplication of efforts. To this regard the following are the main partners with which ISTR Program in Albania has signed Memorandum of Understandings and is currently successfully implementing its activities in the areas of public awareness campaign, trainings and in-company interventions;
GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF STANDARDIZATION a governmental body responsible for standardization in Albania that undertakes the role of Albania's national standards body (NSB).
EU CARDS Program in Support to Standards, Accreditation and Certification in Albania - is a project funded by EU with the main areas of activities Legal Approximation, Capacity Building of governmental bodies and Awareness rising among companies operating in Albania.
SBCA - Albania Small Business Credit and Assistant Project, USAID funded project that works to achieve USAID's strategic objectives related to the growth of private enterprises, strengthening of their competitiveness and increase of access to finance. During its first phase, SBCA established a loan infrastructure for SME's and provided technical assistance at sector-level to 4,148 businesses. In the second phase, the project is working with a selected number of businesses at firm-level, providing specific technical assistance and targeted services.
Partners in Macedonia:
ITSR program in Macedonia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Agency for Entrepreneurship Promotion of Republic of Macedonia (APPRM) on joint effort for public promotion activities related to International Technical Standards and Regulations. Namely the MoU stipulated a broad campaign throughout Macedonia for promotion of technical standards: ISO 22000, HACCP, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18000 among business community. In addition we have jointly published the first Food Safety and Quality Glossary of Terms (English/Macedonian - Macedonian/English) aimed for: laboratories, companies, regulators, practitioners etc.
Agency for Promotion of Entrepreneurship of RM - a state owned institution within Ministry of Economy, established to realize the Program on measures and activities for promotion of entrepreneurship and creation of competitiveness of the small businesses in R. Macedonia and other programs adopted by the Government, concerning entrepreneurship and small businesses. Agency for Promotion of Entrepreneurship of RM is a major player on national level for implementation and coordination of the national and international support to the SME sector.
For more information please visit: www.apprm.org.mk
MASIT - is a voluntary, non profitable business association of private companies, whose basic activities are manufacturing, trading and services in the area of Information Technology registered on the territory of Republic of Macedonia, as well as ICT experts whose activities are close to the IT. The goals of MASIT are: Promotion, coordination and protection of interests of all members; Contribution in research work for development in all fields of IT; Exchange of experience between members of the association; joint lobbying to the government institutions; Improving the cooperation between the association and the educational institutions, as well as other companies in the field of information technology; Contribution in increasing the quality of all types of services in this field and establishment of work standards; Protection of consumers of these types of products and services; Organization of conferences, seminars and workshops on a national and international level; Representation and participation in international alliances and organizations of same or similar type; Active participation in bringing and improvement of law regulations in this field and participation in defining standard establishment on state level etc.
For more information on MASIT please visit: www.masit.org.mk
Economic Chamber of Macedonia – the largest professional business association of the commerce in Macedonia, with a mission to introduce, represent, promote and to protect interests of its members. The goal of the Chamber is promotion of the market economy, entrepreneurship and initiates competition. The Chamber provides quality professional-business services according to the needs of its members as initiates adequate means of permanent functional education and innovation of the current knowledge, as well as other professional cadre, improvement of the quality of the services of its members, confirmation and continuation of good business practices, improvement of the business moral and confirmation of the business behavior rules of its members between them selves and third parties in the market.
For more information on Economic Chamber please visit: www.mchamber.org.mk
Partners in Serbia:
USAID/CRDA-E Program is an economic development program funded by the American people through US Agency for International Development. In Vojvodina and 12 north-eastern municipalities of Serbia, CRDA-E program is being implemented by America's Development Foundation (ADF).
USAID/CRDA-E - is a Program aimed to: Identify and address critical local constraints to economic growth; Form partnerships with local governments, private businesses and NGOs to expand and increase access to economic and social infrastructure; Improve private sector growth to increase competitiveness and create new jobs,
Serbian Chamber of Commerce (SCC) from Belgrade, an independent, non-governmental, business-professional organization of enterprises, entrepreneurs and other types of organizations performing economic activities on the territory of Serbia, linked by common interest. It's purpose is to support the accommodation of interests and activities of enterprises and entrepreneurs through defining common stance, exchange of experiences, initializing mutual business relations, and providing its members with consulting services, education and training, as well as information on market, companies, production, export-import, legal regulations, investment plans and other business information about the Serbian economy and economies of surrounding countries.
Supported by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
