Business Bridge - Ukraine-Ready4EU: Financial support combined with additional advice and assistance to up to 1.500 Ukrainian SMEs planning specific activities to integrate into the EU Single Market (Call for Applications 2024-2)

The Ukraine-Ready4EU project, branded as Business Bridge, provides targeted financial support and advisory services to Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by the Russian invasion, with the goal of facilitating their integration into the EU Single Market. Eligible applicants include SMEs registered in Ukraine, particularly those that are women-led, youth-led, or veteran-led.

The funding mechanism is structured as grants, allowing reimbursements of up to €2,500 for external expenses related to activities that support market integration. The overall budget for the program is €7.5 million, aimed at assisting around 1,500 SMEs in their efforts.

Applications can be made on a rolling basis until March 31, 2025, through an open call format with monthly evaluations. The application process is single-stage, allowing easier access for SMEs. There is no co-funding requirement specified, making it more accessible for applicants.

The program targets a cross-sectoral group of SMEs involved in activities aimed at improving their commercial presence and cooperation within the EU market, including trade fairs and digitalization efforts. The focus is on enhancing Ukraine’s economic resilience and integration into the European economy post-war.

The initiative is outlined under the SMP-COSME-2023-SMEUA-01 topic, emphasizing the importance of integrating SMEs in the EU Single Market, and further details can be found in the guidelines and official documents related to the call for applications.

The Ukraine-Ready4EU project, operating under the brand name Business Bridge, offers financial support, advice, and assistance to up to 1,500 Ukrainian SMEs. The goal is to facilitate their integration into the EU Single Market and foster successful cooperation with EU business partners. This initiative falls under Call for Applications 2024-2.

The Business Bridge financial support can reimburse up to 2,500 EUR of external expenses incurred by beneficiaries for specific activities.

The call opened on March 11, 2024, and will close on March 31, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The deadline model is single-stage.

The total funding available is 2,500 EUR. The project acronym is Ukraine-Ready4EU. The full name of the EU-funded project is "Support to Ukrainian companies to integrate into the Single Market." The grant agreement number is 101139573. The topic is SMP-COSME-2023-SMEUA-01 - Support to Ukrainian companies to integrate into the Single Market.

Applications can be submitted anytime while the call is open via the official online grant application platform at https://ukraine-ready4eu.com/business-bridge. Applications are evaluated monthly at the end of each month. Only eligible activities and expenses specified in the Annex to the Call for Applications at the time of submission will be considered.

Participation conditions are detailed in the "Guidelines for Applicants," version March 2024, which are binding. The guidelines are available at https://epo.org.ua/downloads/bb_guidelines_march2024.pdf.

Only activities described in the official document Call for Applications 2024-2 are eligible for reimbursement. This document can be found at https://epo.org.ua/downloads/bb_call_2024-2.pdf.

In summary, the Ukraine-Ready4EU Business Bridge initiative provides financial aid and guidance to Ukrainian SMEs aiming to expand into the EU Single Market. It offers up to 2,500 EUR in reimbursement for eligible external expenses related to specific activities that promote integration and collaboration with EU businesses. Ukrainian SMEs can apply at any time until March 31, 2025, through the online platform, with monthly evaluations. Applicants must adhere to the guidelines and ensure their proposed activities align with the eligible activities outlined in the official Call for Applications document. This initiative aims to support up to 1,500 Ukrainian SMEs in their efforts to become more active in the EU Single Market.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant type for this opportunity is Ukrainian SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises).

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically cascade funding, which provides financial support to beneficiaries through an intermediary project (Ukraine-Ready4EU). The support is in the form of reimbursement of external expenses.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to be targeted towards single applicants, specifically individual Ukrainian SMEs, rather than requiring a consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is specifically for Ukrainian SMEs. The program aims to help them integrate into the EU Single Market.

Target Sector: The target sector is broad, aiming to support Ukrainian SMEs in becoming more active in the EU Single Market and cooperating with EU business partners. This could potentially encompass various industry sectors, as long as the activities contribute to the integration of the SMEs into the EU market. The topic SMP-COSME-2023-SMEUA-01 suggests a focus on SMEs and their integration into the Single Market, which falls under the COSME (Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) program.

Mentioned Countries: Ukraine, EU member states (as the goal is integration into the EU Single Market).

Project Stage: The project stage is likely focused on activities related to validation, demonstration, commercialization, or scale-up, as the support aims to help SMEs become more active in the EU Single Market. It is geared towards SMEs planning specific activities to integrate into the EU Single Market.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is up to 2,500 EUR per SME, covering the reimbursement of external expenses related to eligible activities. The total funding available is 2,500.00 EUR, which seems to be a typo and should be much higher considering the goal to support up to 1,500 SMEs.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, where applications can be submitted at any time as long as the call is open. Applications are evaluated on a monthly basis.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of reimbursement of eligible external expenses. They will also receive additional advice and assistance.

Application Stages: The application process appears to be single-stage, as indicated by "Deadline model single-stage".

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but given the aim to support up to 1,500 SMEs, the success rate could be relatively high, assuming a sufficient number of eligible applications are received.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, since the funding covers reimbursement of external expenses up to a certain limit, it is possible that SMEs might need to cover expenses exceeding that limit themselves, implying a form of co-funding.

Summary:

The Ukraine-Ready4EU initiative, under the brand name Business Bridge, provides financial support and assistance to Ukrainian SMEs to facilitate their integration into the EU Single Market. This initiative offers reimbursement of up to 2,500 EUR for eligible external expenses related to specific activities aimed at increasing the SME's presence and cooperation within the EU market. The call for applications is continuously open, with monthly evaluations, and will close on March 31, 2025. Ukrainian SMEs can apply through the official online platform. The program aims to support up to 1,500 SMEs. The initiative falls under the SMP-COSME-2023-SMEUA-01 topic, which focuses on supporting Ukrainian companies to integrate into the Single Market. The application process is single-stage, and the support includes both financial reimbursement and advisory services. The eligible activities and expenses are detailed in the official document "Call for Applications 2024-2". The "Guidelines for Applicants" provide further details on the conditions of participation.