On February 17th, 2010 at Hotel “Opal Exclusive” in Bihac, the Center for promotion of local development-PLOD Center Bihac, organized a final conference of a successfully completed project “Regional Business Matchmaking Center” funded by the European Union and implemented by PLOD Center in cooperation with Bihac Municipality and Chamber of Commerce of the Una-Sana Canton. The ceremony was attended by more than 70 representatives of SMEs, municipalities, relevant ministries, as well as local and foreign development agencies.

The aim of the Regional Businesses Matchmaking Project, implemented from December 2007 to February 2010, was to improve the cooperation between BiH and foreign companies, develop strategic partnerships and cross border business cooperation.

During the implementation of the project, more than 200 SMEs from BiH were contacted, where more than 80 received relevant consultancy support. The Center established a strong network and partnerships with domestic and foreign economic service providers, which include numerous chambers of commerce, development agencies, SME centers and embassies. Also, this Center has managed to build reputation as a key business support point in the process of development and cross-border cooperation. Thanks to successfully established contacts and identified opportunities, the Center connected 15 local companies with foreign enterprises, who signed business cooperation contracts. 

In order to improve capacities of tourism companies from the NW region of BiH, PLOD Center connected five local tourist companies with the Center for continental tourism and Hotel “Korana-Srakovcic” from Karlovac, Croatia, which is of importance of taking advantage of this region’s potentials for better networking, forming of unique tourist offer and enabling SMEs to access all mechanisms relevant for their development, as well as development of the entire region.

PLOD Center ensured sustainability of the project through establishment of cooperation with local and foreign stakeholders, building of its capacities, achieved results and identified new opportunities for business matchmaking and development, which contributed to establishment of its reputation in the local and foreign environment as a key point in the process of development and European integration.