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SME sector development strategy for 2019-2021

Civic Development and Partnership Foundation
Business, consulting and management

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SME sector in Armenia has been one of priority areas, as stated in the SME Development Strategy of the government for 2016-2018. The Strategy was developed by the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments, however, without inviting and hearing sufficient number of stakeholders. Even until now there are still no action plan and schedule for implementing that Strategy. Mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the process and outcomes of the Strategy are missing as well.

SMEs need efficient mechanisms for protecting their rights. International experience often shows the benefits of introducing institutions specifically engaged in protecting SME rights. As an example, neighboring Georgia introduced such an institution in 2011, which eventually was transformed into Business Ombudsman in 2015, covering the whole spectrum of business types. However, due to the lack of sufficient communication among stakeholders, the issue in Armenia still remains open. Another important aspect is the insufficient efficiency of entrepreneurship education, social entrepreneurship in particular. Governmental policies for organizing efficient planning and implementation of entrepreneurship education in Armenia are also missing.

This 12-month project, started in July 2018, targets the entire business sector, including SMEs and social enterprises throughout Armenia. The main goal of the project is to analyze lessons learned during the development and implementation of the SME Strategy for 2016-2018, take into account the government’s priorities for the next coming years, involve all the main stakeholders, evaluate risks, approach innovatively and come with the following outcomes:

 • draft a new SME development strategy for 2019-2021,

• establish a pilot model of Business Ombudsman, and test it in Shirak and Gegharkunik marzes,

• develop new modules for entrepreneurial education for different types of educational institutions,

 • develop a concept on social entrepreneurship in Armenia.

What we have

The project is being implemented by a consortium of organizations experienced in different aspects of advocacy, business and social entrepreneurship. The list includes:


• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Shirak region,

• Civic Development and Partnership Foundation (CDPF),

• Association of Social Enterprises of Armenia (ASEA),

• Regional Business Center NGO, Gavar,

• Business Support Office (BSO),

• Impact Club.



The team members speak also Russian, majority of them also speak English. The main office for meetings and seminars, equipped with the n...

What we need

Conduct a research work on existing international experience in developing SME sector development strategies, prepare recommendations for analyzing and evaluating efficiencies of SME development strategies, assess possibilities for tuning the interesting strategies to the Armenian country context, work with the project team to develop recommendations for the new strategy of SME development in Armenia. A new electronic Platform, SME Dialog, is being formed for implementation of the project, where representatives of different stakeholders (government, local and international organizations, etc.), together with local and international experts will be invited for discussions, idea development and documenting the results. The Expert will actively participate in the Platform activities, present the international experience, and in cooperation with the working team, provide recommendations concerning the development of SME development strategy for Armenia.

Conduct a research work on existing international experience and current state of Business Ombudsmen institutions, how it works and interrelates with other advocacy and human rights protection institutions, what are the regulatory aspects, as well as work with the project team to evaluate and prepare recommendations on their adoptability to the Armenian context. A new electronic Platform, SME Dialog, is being formed for implementation of the project, where representatives of different stakeholders (government, local and international organizations, etc.), together with local and international experts will be invited for discussions, idea development and documenting the results. The Expert will actively participate in the Platform activities, present the international experience, and in cooperation with the working team, provide recommendations concerning the feasibility of introducing Business Ombudsman institution in the Armenian context.

Experts who support this project

Together 4 Armenia 2015-2017
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