Five counties to receive €20 million from Enterprise Estonia
Enterprise Estonia is supporting 20 projects aimed at strengthening regional competitiveness in Järva, Lääne, Tartu, Viljandi and Valga Counties with approximately €20 million.
"I consider supporting the local entrepreneurship environment very important first and foremost because it helps boost the preservation and creation of jobs," Minister of Public Administration Janek Mäggi (Centre) said in a press release published by Enterprise Estonia. "If we look outside of Tallinn, then support is needed in every field in the counties, whether it be manufacturing or tourism. All these fields require a suitable environment and infrastructure and this is what we are helping to create with this support."
According to Mäggi, these kinds of projects, which create the opportunity for the establishment and development of entrepreneurship, have great impact as they boost economic growth in the entire country.
Previous application runds aimed at strengthening regional competitiveness have been characterised by a prevalence of the tourism field, but this time there were many projects aimed at developing the manufacturing and entrepreneurship fieds as well, said Enterprise Estonia board member Sigrid Harjo.
"Altogether ten various fields of industry in five counties will be supported, from which 27 businesses already operating there will benefit directly," Harjo noted. "At the same time, opportunities will be created for bringing new investments to these regions."
Other businesses to benefit as well
According to Harjo, with the help of tourism investments, the focus will be on developing objects that emphasise regional characteristics and will tempt visitors beyond the capital city of Tallinn.
"As a result of these projects, new visitors will visit the counties, and the duration of tourists' stay in the region will increase," she described. "This way, the impact of the visits will also reach other businesses in the region, and accommodation and dining establishments will benefit as well."
With the help of the support aimed at strengthening regional competitiveness, it is possible to make investments in the development of tourist attractions that emphasise the characteristics of the destination, the establishment of support infrastructure necessary for business by the industrial and business areas, the development of incubation and product development opportunities, making public spaces in city centres more attractive to business, and developing connections between municipal centres and rural areas.
Enterprise Estonia will be responsible for distributing the support and executing the projects through September, when it will hand over the job to the State Support Service Centre, which will start monitoring the realisation of the projects as well as organise payments.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS