Support of internationalization of SMEs

What is National project ‘Support of internationalization of SMEs’?

The National project ‘Support of internationalization of SMEs’ is realized within the Operational Programme Research and Innovation, priority axis 3, investment priority 3.2, specific goal 3.2.1 targeting the increase of internationalization of SMEs and the use of the opportunities provided by the EU’s common market.

The receiver of the National project is the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO), which is an allowance organization of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, and the project’s partner is Slovak Business Agency.

The main goal of the National project is strengthening of the internationalization capacities of SMEs including the presentation of entrepreneurial potential and the provision of free presentation, cooperation and advisory services to these SMEs, with the aim being to increase the degree of their participation in international cooperation. 

The main activities of SARIO in the National project ‘Support of internationalization of SMEs’: 

Activity 1
Participation of Slovak enterprises in presentation events 

The goal of this activity is to provide organisational and professional support to SMEs in the form of national presentation abroad and international cooperation in Slovakia and abroad. 

Activity 2
Creation of specific capacities and activities to support internationalization of SMEs in Slovakia 

This activity will support the professional education of SMEs through the Export academy, as well as the development of supply chains leading to an increased degree of involvement of SMEs established on the territory of Slovakia into subcontractor networks by increasing their competencies. 

Main activities of the SBA in the National project ‘Support of internationalization of SMEs’: 

Activity 3
Individual support with internationalization of SMEs, support through Trade Points and involving of SMEs in EU’s communitarian programmes 

The goal of this activity is support of individual participation of SMEs in presentation events abroad, creation of advisory and support services through Trade Points in individual regions of Slovakia, support of alternative trade and support platforms and involving SMEs in EU’s communitarian programmes.

Activity 4
Use of electronic entrepreneurship tools by SMEs

This activity entails various types of advising in relation to support of electronic entrepreneurship.

SARIO will provide, within the National project, the following types of support (more details can be found on individual subpages):

• Support of participation in national stands at fairs and exhibitions abroad

• Increasing of effectiveness with realization of business activities by participation in business missions in Slovakia and abroad

• Increasing of cooperation with foreign partners, which should lead to strengthening of the position, sustainability and competitiveness by participation in sourcing and cooperation events

• Increasing of professional capacities of SMEs by participation in seminars of the Export academy

• Provision of transparency of current situation in supply chains in individual industries and areas of services in Slovakia by creating a complex interactive database tool

• Identification of long- term requirements of key customers, of gaps in the market and of unused potential of SMEs established on the Slovak market, which will lead to an increase in the volume of production in SMEs’ individual production sites and to an increase in their exports abroad