Every year around the world, 27 June is celebrated as “World SME Day” to emphasize the importance of SMEs and celebrate their achievements.
SMEs stand out as important actors that keep the global economy alive with their contributions to economic growth and employment.
According to the data of the International Chamber of Commerce, SMEs account for approximately 70 percent of total employment worldwide and play an important role in economic growth.
99 percent of the enterprises consist of companies in the status of SMEs
According to the data of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), 99 percent of the enterprises in Turkey are companies with SME status. SMEs account for one-third of exports and R&D expenditures and 43 percent of turnover. In the country where the number of SMEs exceeds 3 million, 71 percent of employment is in small and medium-sized enterprises.
KOSGEB, on the other hand, contributes to the growth, competitiveness, production and export of SMEs with support programs, grant opportunities, training and consultancy services for entrepreneurs.
The budget of the Presidency, which was 2.37 billion liras, was updated to 10.58 billion liras with the financing support for the employment of SMEs affected by the Kovid-19 epidemic last year. 10.22 billion liras of this was transferred to SMEs. This year, the budget, which was foreseen as 4.47 billion liras, was revised to 6.85 billion liras. It is aimed to transfer this resource to SMEs and entrepreneurs by the end of the year.
The Advanced Entrepreneurship Support Program will continue this year as well.
While KOSGEB provides support up to 65 thousand liras with the Traditional Entrepreneurship Support Program, within the scope of the Advanced Entrepreneur Support Program, it provides grant support up to 175 thousand liras for low-tech sectors, 275 thousand liras for medium-high technology and up to 375 thousand liras for high-tech startups.
With these supports, it is aimed to increase the number of enterprises established in sectors with high added value. Since last year, call-based Advanced Entrepreneurship Support Programs of up to 1 million TL have been implemented in key sectors identified in some provinces. Calls continue this year.
R&D and product development (P&D) projects are supported up to 1.1 million liras, and up to 6 million liras through project calls.
Within the scope of the SME Technological Product Investment Support Program, SMEs are supported up to 10 million TL in order to ensure the production and commercialization of products that will contribute to the current account as a result of R&D and P&D activities.
A total of 2 million TL, including 1.4 million TL reimbursed and 600 thousand TL non-refundable, for products in the low / medium-low technology field, 7 million TL with repayment and non-refundable for products in the medium-high / high technology field. There is a total support upper limit of 10 million TL, 3 million TL.
Within the scope of the Technology-Oriented Industrial Move Program carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, investment projects that will increase the production of high value-added products in medium-high and high-technology sectors in Turkey are 6 million TL, with a non-refundable amount of 1.8 million TL and a refundable amount of 4.2 million TL. Support up to Rs.
SMEs’ competitiveness gets stronger with support
With the Business Development Support Program, support of up to 2 million 960 thousand liras is provided in order to increase the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises, increase their share in the economy and develop their capacities.
With the Collaboration Support Program, support of up to 10 million TL is provided in order to contribute to the development of the common working culture of SMEs and to establish cooperations that provide mutual benefit and competitive advantage.
With the SME Development Support Program, support up to 2 million TL is provided for the projects that SMEs will prepare in order to increase their competitiveness and the added value they provide.
Within the scope of the SME Financing Support Program, support of up to 2.5 million TL is provided to SMEs in order to solve their financing problems, increase their production, quality and standards, create employment, and compete at the international level.
Consultancy and business support for entry into foreign markets
Within the scope of the Overseas Accelerator Support Program, various technical and legal support is provided in order to facilitate the entry of enterprises to international markets, while support is provided up to 50 thousand dollars for enterprises and up to 25 thousand dollars for regulatory agency personnel.
With the Overseas Market Support Program, support up to 300 thousand liras is provided in order to improve the skills and abilities of SMEs to open up to foreign markets, to increase their foreign market shares, to make them actors of international competition, and to increase the number of SMEs that start exporting and e-commerce.
With the Living Cultural Heritage Enterprises Support Program, the amount of support determined in order to strengthen the survival of enterprises with traditional, cultural and artistic value and operate in professions that are on the verge of disappearing, and to transfer this accumulation to future generations, reaches up to 250 thousand liras.
Special supports
2023 debts of businesses in 11 provinces affected by the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes on February 6, and all debts of the operators who lost their lives in the disaster, were written off.
The Emergency Support Loan Program was initiated in order to quickly return the damaged businesses to their activities in the region. The program covers approximately 30 thousand SMEs in 11 provinces in the earthquake zone and affected by the earthquake. Fast financing up to 1.5 million liras is provided to businesses in this situation, depending on their scale.
With the Disaster Period Living Space Support, non-refundable container support up to 300 thousand liras is provided to SMEs and industrialists in earthquake regions. In order to meet the various expenses of SMEs operating in the manufacturing sector in the region, reimbursed supports up to 75 thousand liras are offered.
While the upper limits of entrepreneurship support in the earthquake zone are doubled, entrepreneurs who set up their businesses with the Traditional Entrepreneur Support Program are given the opportunity to use non-refundable financing up to 130 thousand liras, and entrepreneurs who set up their businesses under the Advanced Entrepreneur Support Program, up to 750 thousand liras in total.
On the other hand, the “2023 Flood and Landslide Emergency Support Loan Program” was put into use for SMEs affected by heavy rainfall, floods and landslides in Samsun, Amasya, Kastamonu and Sinop. An arrangement has been made to meet the entire profit share and interest of the loan, which will be used for the urgent needs of businesses, up to 300 thousand liras, by KOSGEB.
