In 2009 the EU launched the Eastern Partnership (EaP), a joint policy initiative which aims to deepen and strengthen relations between the European Union (EU), its Member States and its six Eastern neighbours: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Many SMEs in the regionremain tied to low value–added sectors and still don’t contribute as they could to job creation and export. In this context,the European Commission launched the EU4Business initiative that helps SMEs in the six countries of the EaP region to realise their full potential and boost economic growth.

Actions to the implemented must fall within the following sectors:

• Bio/organic Food sector: 12 actions
• Wine sector: 11 actions
• Tourism sector: 12 actions
• Textiles sector: 12 actions
• Creative Industries: 12 actions

The open call is designed for partnerships of EU and EaP Business Support Organisations (BSOs).The proposals must include activities which support cooperation between organizations (twinnings, B2B matchings and study visits) within the sector.

The action should cover as far as possible three of the following issues:

• Gender equality;
• Business opportunities opened up with the Eastern Partnership Agreements signed between the EU and EaP countries;
• Institutional building, between CCIs and BSOs, best practices, benchmarking, cooperation between companies;
• Transfer of know–how, transfer oftechnology, synergies with existing networks like Enterprise Europe Network;
• Job creation and poverty reduction;
• Businesses in rural areas run by women and men.