Partners

Business Innovation Center of Croatia  BICRO Ltd  was founded by the government in 1998. BICRO is the key organisation within the national innovation system whose basic role is development and implementation of government support programmes aimed at strengthening technology development as the main generator of sustainable economic growth. BICRO is the main partner for technology transfer and innovation support services in the Croatian branch of Enterprise Europe Network, the key instrument in the EU's strategy to boost growth and jobs. Bringing together more than 4000 business support experts from 40 countries in Europe and third countries, the Network helps small companies seize the unparalleled business opportunities in the EU Single Market.
www.bicro.hr
www.een.hr
 

Croatia Business Angels Network (CRANE) is a nonprofit organization that brings together business angels from Croatia and abroad who have an interest to invest in innovative projects. The association was established in 2008 as a joint initiative of partner institutions such as the Agency for Investment Promotion and Export, Poteza Ventures, Croatian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, Association for the promotion of software and online businesses 'Initium' and successful businessmen Damir Sabol and Hrvoje Prpic.

CRANE has goals to encourage and develope innovative entrepreneurship in Croatia, to provide assistance to entrepreneurs in the implementation of innovative projects and to provide assistance to business angels in selection of high quality projects.

The Croatian Business Angels Network plays an active role in providing capital for the initial stages of projects where the lack capital is evident. CRANE provides an alternative to other means of financing instruments thus promoting development of entrepreneurship and early stage high risk investing.
www.crane.hr
 

The EBRD’s TurnAround Management (TAM) and Business Advisory Services (BAS) Programme are complementary technical assistance programmes that combine direct assistance at the enterprise level to viable micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across a broad range of industry sectors in the entire EBRD region. The programmes are donor funded and not-for-profit and are aimed at helping enterprises to operate successfully.
TAM focuses on substantial managerial and structural changes within companies, providing the advice of international highly experienced senior executives and industry experts, in projects typically lasting 18 months. The objective is to build strong, competent enterprise management while also introducing extensive restructuring.
BAS supports short-term projects with local consultants. By giving grants to individual micro and small enterprises to engage local consultants, BAS projects stimulate the demand for the potential benefits of using external consultants. At the same time, it develops a sustainable infrastructure for business advisory services in the countries of operations.
The program operates in 18 countries across SEE region, Caucases and Central Asia, while the office in Croatia has been active since 2001 and has a large porfolio of companies varying from diverse industries.
www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/tambas/where/croatia.shtml

Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d., Rijeka (ESB) has been operating under this name since 2003, following the merger of Rijecka banka d.d., Rijeka and Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d, Zagreb. Both banks had been playing an important role on the Croatian financial market. Rijecka banka, d.d., Rijeka was established in 1954, its 50-year banking tradition made it the leading bank for the city of Rijeka, as well as for the Primorje and Istria region. Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d., Zagreb was established in 2000, following a merger of three successful regional Croatian banks: Bjelovarska banka, Trgovacka banka and Cakovecka banka. Today, ESB operates on the national level, and by the end of June 2010 it had a market share of 13 percent by assets, ranking third on the Croatian banking market. ESB in August had a network of 125 branches and more than 520 ATM’s and services more than 740,000 clients, across the entire country. Since 2000, Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d. has been a member of Erste Group, one of the leading financial providers in CEE serving more than 17,3 million clients.
www.erstebank.hr

The Croatian Chamber of Economy is an independent professional and business organisation of all legal entities engaging in business. It was established in 1852, organised in European tradition and on the so-called continental model of Austrian and German chambers with compulsory membership. Every company registered with the Commercial Court is a member of the Chamber.
The Croatian Chamber of Economy consists of the Headquarters in Zagreb and 20 county chambers. Among these, the Zagreb Chamber represents both the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County. Functionally, the CCE consists of 8 departments dealing with the respective branch of the economy, and it also includes 40 professional associations, 87 groups and 19 affiliations. Apart from this, within the CCE act five business centres, Permanent Arbitration Court, Conciliation Centre, Court of Honour and CCE Office for Areas of Special State Concern.
The Croatian Chamber of Economy is run by the Assembly, Management and Supervisory Boards, President, who is elected by the Assembly, and five Vice Presidents. The members of the Supervisory Board and Assembly are elected from among reputable business people. Together with the Chamber’s working bodies, they promote, represent and protect their members’ common interests before governmental authorities home and abroad.
www.hgk.hr
 

Croatian Agency for SMEs (HAMAG) is the leading state agency for fostering the development of small businesses and increasing their share in the entire economy.
HAMAG's mission is to create a favourable entrepreneurial climate and to develop the economy of the Republic of Croatia by good programs, increasing awareness of the importance of entrepreneurship, development of knowledge based economy through knowledge centres, aiming at a balanced development of the entire economy.
HAMAG fulfill it's mission threw guarantee and grant issuance, development of entrepreneurial infrastructure as well as development of an SME Consultant Network.
www.hamag.hr
 

Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, as the umbrella organisation of the all of Croatian crafts and the whole crafts chamber system is an institution that through partner relationships with the legislative and executive branches and through its intensive activities and numerous initiatives, protects its members and represents  interests of tradesmen and craftsmen owing small and large businesses.
Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts is the most important business association in Croatia, with a large number of members (more than 93.000) which together with the number of their employees (226.000) makes almost a fifth of the whole number of persons in employment in the Republic of Croatia. Our 20 county chambers and 117 tradesmen associations, situated in all counties, larger cities and towns, build a well-spread and strong craft network in the whole country.
www.hok.hr

Croatian Employers’ Association (CEA) is the independent and powerful voice of Croatian employers and entrepreneurs founded in 1993. Founded on voluntary membership and financed exclusively by membership fees, through 27 sectoral association and three regional offices, CEA promotes and promotes interests of employers and entrepreneurs, creators of new social values.

CEA mission is to improve entrepreneurial and investment climate in order to strengthen the competitiveness of Croatian economy. HUP is constructive social partner to all economic policy shapers and trade unions Today, CEA activities focus promotion of market economy and protection of entrepreneurship and private property, as well as on strategy of adjustment of the Croatian private sector to European standards, which is of essence in the process of EU accession. CEA represents Croatian employers in all relevant European and international associations.
www.hup.hr
 

Today, Splitska banka is in 100% ownership of Societe Generale Group, one of the largest French and European banking groups. Following the acquisition in 2006 and integration activities during 2007 – in 2008 Splitska banka started with its development cycles, reflecting the ambitions of SG Group on the Croatian market.  The development activities were in the full swing just through the past year and Splitska banka now operates through 130 branches in all Croatian districts and in such way its transformation process from the regional into the national bank has been finalized. In the region of Zagreb, Splitska banka now has 21 branches and it plans to double that number in the next two years. As the universal bank, it is equally active in the area of corporate operations so that, apart from the two main centers in Split and in Zagreb, it approaches its clients through 7 regional centers. Special emphasis is given to small businesses which have even 20 regional centers at their disposal and that is exactly the segment in which Splitska banka has tripled the number of employees in the last three years.
www.splitskabanka.hr

Small- and medium entrepreneurs' association (UMIS SMEA) is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit association founded in 1999 with objectives to facilitate business of its members and to contribute to the development of entrepreneurship in Croatia. Activities of UMIS-SMEA include business networking and cooperation, provision of advice and services, providing policy recommendations, cooperating with international organizations, consulting services for EU projects, organisation of education trainings and events. UMIS-SMEA cooperates with professional institutions for small and medium-sized enterprises in 70 countries combining knowledge and specific methods for improving the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in Croatia, including the Government of Croatia (including the Office of the Prime Minister, and the Office for Gender Equality, several Ministries (MELE, MSES), Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR), the Foundation Konrad Adeanuer, of the European Commission, UNECE, the European Academy of Arts and Sciences, OECD, the European Economic and Social Council, MIND, University Essex Southend, StudioCentroVeneto. UMIS-SMEA is the only institution of the Government member of ESBA (European Alliance of Entrepreneurs) and WUSME (World Union of Entrepreneurs – where UMIS-SMEA is also the founder). UMIS-SMEA participates in many projects led by European institutions among which we emphasize: Europartenariat, Partenariat, Integra, CC Factor, SEENET, Gateway to Europe. UMIS team of experts working on project proposals, the most successful of which were financed from EU funds.
www.umis-smea.com