On 19 January 2023 IRIS Business Incubator together with ICMPD in Armenia office team summarized the result of the results of the first two Calls of EU4IMPACT – EU for Increasing Migrants` Potential to Act for Development of Armenia Project funded by European Union in Armenia.
EU Ambassador to Armenia, Andrea Wiktorin welcomed participants, High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Mr Zareh Sinanyan, ICMPD Regional Portfolio Manage MS Violeta Wagner, Head of Return and Reintegration Unit, Migration and Citizenship Service Ms Haykanush Chobanyan and Executive Director of IRIS BI Ms Narine Terzyan.
The results of the first and second Calls, announced in November 2021 and May 2022, received more than 200 applications from all regions of Armenia. More than 160 applicants attended the online business training courses organized by IRIS Business Incubator and more than 100 applicants prepared and presented their business projects to professional jury members, who selected 59 business projects for non-financial assistance.
59 beneficiaries selected for non-financial assistance are representatives of all regions of Armenia. The main directions of the presented business projects are production, agriculture, animal breeding, and service, in particular honey production, production of cosmetics for pregnant women, production of toilet paper and napkins, Asian sweets, animal food, preserved or canned food, production of clothes, meat products, and breadstuffs. The beneficiaries are planning to establish greenhouses to grow flowers, fruit, and vegetables, and open guesthouses, cafes, and creative studio for kids. Other projects provided also include animal breeding such as sheep, pigs, and cows, and agriculture.
More than 320 items and services have been procured from more than 80 suppliers and service providers.
The project will continue until September 2024 with three more Calls for applications. The third Call is announced from 15 December 2022 until 31 January 2023. Two more Calls will be announced in 2023 and 2024 respectively.