The Memorandum of Cooperation, signed by the Thessaloniki Chamber of Small and Medium-Sized Industries and the Hellenic Development Bank (HDB), aims to encourage and foster entrepreneurship through targeted financing tools.
More specifically, as stated in a related announcement, the collaborating parties are partnering to support small and medium-sized enterprises by promoting and utilizing the HDB’s financial and non-financial tools, facilitating businesses’ access to knowledge and networks, as well as strengthening business innovation, sustainable development, and outward orientation.
“Our collaboration with the Hellenic Development Bank is a strategic move toward strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises in Thessaloniki. This is a significant milestone in our effort as the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry to help identify financing solutions specifically designed for the size and needs of small businesses, which will contribute to the growth, innovation, and outward-looking orientation of our member companies,” noted BETH President Marios Papadopoulos.
For her part, the CEO of the Hellenic Development Bank (HDB), Ismini Papakyriou, presented the financing tools offered by HDB to support and provide favorable financing to SMEs. “Supporting SMEs is a strategic priority for HDB. Our goal is to strengthen the manufacturing sector —which is a critical component of the economy—to foster its growth and modernization through the development of targeted actions and tools tailored to the needs of SMEs,” stated Ms. Papakyriou.
What the MoU Envisions
The scope of the collaboration is based on four key pillars:
- Regularly informing BETH members about EIB financing programs, tools, and initiatives, as well as opportunities to utilize the non-financial tools and support services it provides.
- Facilitating the participation of BETH member companies in actions, events, conferences, and initiatives that promote entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainable development, and business competitiveness.
- Co-organizing and/or supporting informational workshops, webinars, seminars, workshops, and training activities on topics related to SME financing, digital transformation, and business development.
- The dissemination of information through the parties’ official communication channels regarding actions, initiatives, and tools implemented jointly or independently that pertain to entrepreneurship, growth, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.