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The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency
SMEDA-Tbilisi
The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency, SMEDA-Tbilisi has has been operational since 1994, when it was initiated within the framework of EU’s TACIS project. The founder of the agency is the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Georgia.
The main activities of the agency include a wide range of consulting and business
training support to both start-up entrepreneurs and the already established
small and medium enterprises.
For foreign companies, institutions and international organisations SMEDA
provides a comprehensive portfolio of services based on advice and information
concerning Georgian industry, the economy, market and investment possibilities.
SMEDA staff comprises qualified and experienced business advisers and trainers
with a practical, hands-on approach to business problems and their solutions.
They have been trained by European experts both in Europe and Georgia and as
a result, are familiar with both Western and Georgian business practices. Training
within SMEDA is regarded as a continuous process and because of this our experts
remain up to date and are always aware of the constantly changing business
environment. SMEDA has a carefully selected pool of freelance advisors, from
various fields of industry. They have successfully been utilised in number
of projects and proved the ability to provide additional technical expertise
on high level. Close collaboration with freelance consultants expands the scope
of SMEDA services and covers wider areas of the business.
SMEDA already has a 7 years of experience in providing a wide scope of business
support services for both indigenous Georgian businesses and foreign businesses
seeking commercial or investment opportunities.
Below is presented the list of services currently rendered by SMEDA to its
clients:
Consultancy Services:
- Pre-feasibility and feasibility studies;
- Assistance in the preparation of Business Plans;
- Business needs analysis;
- Investment proposals and loan/credit applications;
- Financial Modelling and Sensitivity Analysis;
- Industry sector surveys and analysis;
- Company Business proposals;
- Customised local and regional market research and surveys;
- Information and Partner search;
- Consultancy on Georgian legislation and statutory requirements;
- Establishment of contacts, business, sectoral, institutional;
- Identification of potential trade partners;
- Logistical support of foreign businessmen
Training Services
- Business training for start up business;
- Business skills seminars;
- Customised training, in or out of house;
- Business plan training. SMEDA closely collaborates with local enterprises,
financial institutions (local and international banks) and foreign technical
assistance projects. Through this network of partners SMEDA possesses reliable
information on current business developments that positively contributes in
comprehensive business analysis provided to the clientele. Below is given the
list of selected reference works accomplished by SMEDA in the area of business
consulting:
- Preparation of more than 200 business plans and investment proposals for local
SME's from various regions of Georgia;
- Preparation of the National SME Policy study (205 pages) on behalf of the
Georgian MINISTRY of ECONOMY;
- Preparation of business profiles of more than 150 medium-sized Georgian enterprises
for assistance through the Privatisation Project, in co-operation with DELOITTE & TOUCHE;
- Providing about 100 small and medium companies in Georgia with expertise on
International Standards of Accounting through employing the services of visiting
CAs from USA, in collaboration with CDC (Citizen Democracy Corps) and through
funding from USAID;
- Development of program - Information and Technical Service for Georgian SME
's. This Project was sponsored by Open Society - Georgian Foundation OSGF (Soros
Foundation);
- Preparation of The Georgian Fruit Growing Sector study for UNDP’s FAO (Food
and Agriculture Organization) project.
- Preparation of sector studies and screenings of several Georgian industries
(textile, telecommunication, etc.) for various international organisations;
- Market study for X-ray and ultra-sound equipment in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan,
on behalf of PHILIPS MEDIZINE SYSTEM, Germany;
- Preparation of market survey for basic food and healthcare products in Georgia
on behalf of BOB WALSH ENTERPRISES, USA;
- Market research on dairy products for leading food manufacturer from Netherlands;
- Study of the Georgian beer market for European brewer;
- Poultry consumption survey for local importer;
- Screening of leading local food importers for the Netherlands’ BUSINESS SUPPORT
CENTRE;
- Preparation of a survey on current condition of small and medium business
sector in Georgia (and in particular, in agriculture) by the order from NATHAN
ASSOCIATES, USA;
- Arranging and hosting of a 3 day Euro-Georgian Business Conference with 15
foreign and 50 local companies;
- Organization and conduct of about 75 training programs (seminars, workshops)
in the areas of business planning, financial management and marketing for both
start-up entrepreneurs and operating enterprises and farmers' credit unions.
Large portion of these training programs were carried out through multiple
orders from such international organizations, projects and foundations as UNDP,
TACIS, CARE, SIBLEY, UMCOR, COUNTERPART International, GEORGE SOROS FOUNDATION
(Open Society-Georgia Foundation), CONSTANTA FOUNDATION, MERCY CORPS, etc;
Organization of 2 training programs for local entrepreneurs ( total of 50 participants)
in Athens, Greece, by the support from the Greek state agency for small & medium
business development EOMEX and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece;
- Selection of participants and organization of business trip for Georgian food
producers to ANUGA international food products fair in Cologne, Germany, through
the support from the Ministry of Economy of Germany.
- Conducting of the observation process and preparation of the report for
the World Bank project - "Performance indicators and measurement of
border and customs procedures for cargo carrier vehicles in Georgia";
- Implementation of the training and consultancy component of the State
Program for Temporary and Permanent Employment of the Unemployed Persons.
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