CREATE 4 COMPETE

1. CREATE4COMPETE Creativity for Boosting Competence and Competitiveness

2. Overall Duration of the Action 24 months 09/2012- 10/2014

3. Contracting authority Ministry of Regional Development of the Republic of Poland

4. Programme Lithuania - Poland - Russia Cross - border - cooperation programme 2007-2013

5. Total eligible cost of the Action 395,539.840 EUR Percentage of total eligible cost of action 90 %

6. Programme priority and measure Priority 2. Pursuing social, economic and spatial development Measure 2.3. Increasing competitiveness of SMEs and development of the labour market

7. Title of the Action Create4Compete - Creativity for Boosting Competence and Competitiveness

8. Location of the Action Lithuania, Marijampole and Kaunas Counties; Russian Federation, Kaliningrad Oblast (region)

9. Project CoordinatorMarijampole Branch Office of Kaunas Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts www.chamber.ltProject PartnersKaunas Regional Development Agency www.krda.ltKaliningrad Chamber of Commerce and Industrywww.kaliningrad-cci.ruFund Victoriawww.fkt-sme.ru

10. Target groups SMEs; intermediary business support structures for SMEs, in target regions

11. Final Beneficiaries SMEs sector in Marijampole,Kaunas and Kaliningrad regions Marijampole, Kaunas and Kaliningrad regions

12. Estimated Results • 4 business support organizations in Marijampole, Kaunas and Kaliningrad regions strengthened. • One new innovative business support infrastructure (BSO-EXT coachers) for SME’s created and tested. • 130 SMEs’ coached to raise competitiveness, entrepreneurship and cooperation of SMEs’. • 20 SMEs’ knowledge on innovations and creativity strengthened. • 20 companies having cross-border business capacities of competitiveness strengthened. • 3 networks for benefits of SMEs in the regions created and tested. • 2groups of representatives of SMEs’ trained and coached to start and develop cross border business and cooperation.

13. Main Activities • Raise competence and creativity of business support organizations. • Improve material base of partners’ organizations for intermediary support services for SMEs. • Strengthen capacities of entrepreneurship and competitiveness of SMEs’ in Marijampole, Kaunas and Kaliningrad regions. • Strengthen capacities of innovations and creativity of SMEs having interest to start cross-border business with Lithuania and Russia (Kaliningrad). • Create and develop the networks between partners’ organizations, SMEs’ and coachers. • Strengthen cooperation of business representatives in order to develop common ideas for cross-border business.

14. Specific problems and Needs the Action addresses (I) • Insufficient access to innovative public services (training services, networks and etc.) enhancing competitiveness and internationalisation of SMEs and a lack of diversity of services targeting SMEs start - ups on regional level • Insufficient application of innovative instruments for management and solving issues in SMEs • Lack of initiation of international projects and innovative activities targeted at fostering SMEs cross - border cooperation • Lack of companies and programmes and business events targeted at fostering the implementation of innovation strategies, especially on the regional level • Unnumerous number of innovative SMEs in the region • Insufficient awareness on existing innovative technologies of • entrepreneurs and employees.

15. Specific problems and Needs the Action addresses (II) • There are no cross - border activities of international business network of SMEs demanding actual trade or active entry • Insufficient experience of SMEs in the field of international cooperation (Lithuania with the Federation of Russia) • Lack of a clear regional innovative system having integrated rules as well as a system of relations between entities • Insufficient dissemination of cases on good practices of SMEs of the regions beyond the cross-border • Insufficient cooperation and common objectives between the SMEs, public institutions, education and training institutions and business support institutions by forming strategies of regional international cooperation.

16. Overall Objective of the Action To contribute to encouragement of competitiveness and cross-border co-operation of SME’s and business support structures among Marijampole, Kaunas and Kaliningrad regions

17. Specific Objectives of the Action • Strengthened business support organizations in Marijampole, Kaunas and Kaliningrad regions; • Raised competitiveness and entrepreneurship of SMEs in Marijampole, Kaunas and Kaliningrad regions; • Enhanced cooperation among SMEs’, among business support organizations and among business support organizations and SMEs’ of Marijampole, Kaunas and Kaliningrad regions.

18. Expected impact of project activities to Marijampole, Kaunas and Kaliningrad regions at economical and social scales (I) • Improving Business Competitiveness and Increasing Economic Growth. • Labour Market Development and Encouragement of Entrepreneurship. • Promotion of Culture Inspiring Innovations and Creativity.

19. Expected impact of project activities to Marijampole, Kaunas and Kaliningrad regions at economical and social scales (II) • Improving and Strengthening of Infrastructure of Organisation (Applicant). • Internationalisation and Cooperation Development. • Increasing Competitiveness of Region and State.

20. Contact information Marijampole and Kaunas Counties: E-mail: rita.baidokaite@chamber.lt lina.misiukeviciene@krda.lt Kaliningrad region: E-mail: maximova@kaliningrad-cci.ru YakovlevAA@inok.ru