New project brings big opportunities for SMEs in Georgia

A United Nations specialist agency that promotes and accelerates industry development is launching a project in Georgia to support entrepreneurs to advance their businesses.

The innovative project by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) will support small and medium-sized (SMEs) enterprises and teach business owners how to effectively use resources and produce healthy, European standard products, while reducing negative effects on the environment. 

The project, named ‘Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Demonstration Project (RECP)’, aimed to establish special RECP clubs in Georgia’s regions, bring together SME owners and lead them through intensive trainings and coaching programs over four months.

After the training all local businesses involved in the RECP Club will receive a customised RECP Action Plan to help them develop their businesses.

The RECP Action Plans will help companies:

• Save energy, water and materials; 
• Reduce the negative impacts on the environment and human health;
• Increase profits; 
• Be in compliance with the requirements of Georgian environmental legislation; and 
• Improve access to financing for investments in cleaner technologies.

RECP Club member companies will also receive UNIDO certificates upon completion of the Club, which will boost their awareness and reliability in the public eye in the future. 

Meanwhile in 2015 two RECP Clubs were established within the project in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region and in the eastern Rustavi municipality. Sixteen companies involved in these Clubs have now developed Action Plans regarding resource efficiency and cleaner production.

Creating two new RECP Clubs was planned for the eastern Kaspi and western Kutaisi municipalities. With this objective the RECP project has organised first meetings with SMEs located in these municipalities. 

The meeting in Kaspi will take place tomorrow, while in Kutaisi the meeting was scheduled for March 17. 

The project is a component of the regional program of the European Union EAP GREEN: Greening Economies in the European Union’s Eastern Partnership Countries.