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Call for expressions of interest for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises to receive technical advisory services on “eco-innovation” in Georgia

As part of component 2.6 “Ecological value chains and product innovation (hereafter eco-innovation)”, EU4Environment is implementing activities to promote eco-innovative approaches in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Georgia.

Eco-innovation is an approach that supports SMEs to develop and diversify business models that reduce social and environmental impacts, as well as impacts all along the value chain to make a company more competitive and resilient.

Having conducted a market and policy assessment of the eco-innovation landscape among Georgian SMEs, UNEP, one of the implementing partners, is aiming to engage with Georgian SMEs from the agriculture, forestry and/ or fisheries or the hospitality sectors to apply eco-innovation. This entails support of the SMEs to transform their business strategy and develop new, innovative business models and an action plan of how to implement those.

Selected eight companies will receive support from local and international experts to assess their eco-innovation readiness and develop new innovative business models, using the UNEP eco-innovation manual (developed in collaboration with the EU), thereby helping them to:

  • Understand and implement innovative approaches that reduce the environmental footprint of their operations and products/services offered;
  • Strengthen their customer base, reputation, and visibility;
  • Increase the export products/services to the EU market (and beyond);
  • Attract and retain talented employees;
  • Establish responsible business practices;
  • Increase access to financing mechanisms for further socio-environmental sustainability measures;
    Stay ahead of new standards and regulations; and
  • Improve their resilience in light of global economic/environmental/health crises.

Applicant requirements

This call for expressions of interest is open to all Small and medium-sized enterprises registered in Georgia (at least from 2018), both from Tbilisi and other regions. Following the priority sectors for eco-innovation identified in a recent study, the enterprises selected for this call should represent one of the following two sectors:

  • Agriculture, forestry and/or fisheries;
  • Provision of accommodation and food (i.e. hospitality sector).

The interested companies should submit:

** An extract from the Georgian Registry of Legal Entities; and
** A completed application form.

First stage of selection entails the assessment of submitted application. A round of interviews will follow as a second stage.

Interested companies should submit proposals no later than 12 August, 2021 to the address: procurement@cida.ge