USAID'S COMPETITIVENESS PROJECT - USAID Macedonia

ideas into bankable projects. As a result of these efforts, this quarter four more financial facilitators joined the
team of FP consultants bringing the total number to 27 consultants grouped in 6 consulting companies and 11
individuals.
Financial platform matchmaking events
As part of the promotional efforts of the Financial
Platform, MCP organized a series of matchmaking and
educational regional events. Such events bridge the
asymmetric flow of information between financial service
providers and companies, and enable companies to
engage financial facilitators and financial institutions.
Representatives from companies, financial institutions
and consulting firms attend the events, which include
presentations by participating financial institutions, MCP
financial facilitators and companies that have gone
through the financial platform process, and discuss how
working with their advisor helped them. Often the events
end with interactions between companies and the
advisors, and thus, new clients.
Toni Masevski from Ohridska Banka presenting at the
Matchmaking event in Kumanovo
In order to leverage funds, MCP initiated cooperation with the Austrian Development Cooperation to cost
share the organization of the matchmaking events in 2010. The fifth and last such event was organized this
quarter in Kumanovo in cooperation with the Kumanovo SME development Foundation. This educational and
matchmaking event was aimed at companies from the Kumanovo region. Over 35 companies gathered at the
event and had a unique opportunity to hear from four different financial institutions how to access finance.
Among the presenters were the following:
• Macedonian Bank for Development Promotion explaining the benefit of export insurance and the
credit lines with favorable interest rates;
• Ohridska banka Societe General which explained how the insurance policy of MBDP can be further
used as a pledge against working capital loans;
• NLB Leasing explained how leasing and lease‐back works particularly when companies lack collateral
and are hence rejected by the commercial banks, and
• The Crimson Capital Foundation that presented their work and more specifically the financing they
provide to companies on the basis of the contracts that they have with their buyers (purchase order
financing).
The results of these events are immediate and visible on the spot. Banks are linked to companies that need
their services but were unaware of some of the more innovative products that they offer. Companies approach
MCP for assistance both for direct advice and for further in‐depth cooperation with MCP FP facilitators.
Financial institutions become more and more aware that they need to make more efforts to promote their
services in front of the companies, especially the more innovative ones in order to ensure their usage.
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