“This year we travelled extensively across the regions of Lithuania. It was a great way not only to present the latest funding calls, but also to be closer to the client, to hear their expectations and to answer their questions more precisely – here and now. During the events, regional entrepreneurs actively consulted us, which allowed us to feel the pulse of which funding opportunities are the most relevant, and for our clients to better understand how they could grow their business with the help of EU funds,” said Gintarė Kuncaitytė, Head of Investment Assessment of the Innovation Agency.
According to her, the representatives from the Innovation Agency also told businesses about financial opportunities for export development, advised them on why it is worth investing in raising product awareness, and shared opportunities for employee development. Representatives from the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation and the Ministry of Finance also joined the events and presented the broader funding opportunities by 2021–2027 EU Structural Funds.
The events took place in Klaipėda, Telšiai, Alytus, Utena, Panevėžys, Marijampolė, Šiauliai and Kaunas, with the largest number of visitors in Šiauliai and Kaunas regions.
At the end of October, the series of events “EU Funding: Invest in Business Growth” was closed with an event in Kaunas, where Romualda Stragienė, Director of the Innovation Agency, Gintarė Skaistė, Minister of Finance, Karolis Žemaitis, Vice-Minister of the Economy and Innovation, and the entrepreneurs who participated in the event, joined in a discussion. The participants shared best practices, discussed challenges, received recommendations and advice and were further inspired to keep investing in the growth of their business, something that the state of Lithuania is ready to invest in thanks to EU funding.
Entrepreneurs from all regions of Lithuania had the opportunity to find out more about funding opportunities under different EU funding calls: “InoMaturity”, “InoProgress”, “Skills for SMEs”, “Green Experiment”, “EcoInnovation”, “Non-technological Innovation”, “Digitisation of SMEs” and “Expo Opportunities” at the events taking place in their respective cities in autumn. The experts of the Innovation Agency also shared the opportunities for incentives for companies involved in research and experimental development (R&D).
The funding portfolio of the Innovation Agency currently totals around EUR 773.9 million, including the EU Investment for the 2021–2027 financial period (EUR 511.2 million), the Just Transition Fund for the 2021–2027 period (EUR 262.7 million), the mission-based science and innovation programme funding (EUR 77.7 million), the Norwegian Financial Mechanism Programme (EUR 2.99 million) and the 2022 Lithuanian State Budget funding measures (EUR 2.1 million). This business investment funding will reach Lithuanian businesses throughout the years of the financial period.
