Innovative Business Information and Support Services for Young Entrepreneurs in Herbs Production and Eco-Tourism

Acronym	FLOREO
Project Number – MIS	5070673
Priority axis	1 - A Competitive and Innovative Cross-Border Area
Investment priorities	3a - Promoting entrepreneurship, in particular by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas and fostering the creation of new firms, including through business incubators
Intervention fields	066. Advanced support services for SMEs and groups of SMEs (including management, marketing and design services)
Call	6th CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS
Lead Beneficiary	ZDRAVETS ASSOCIATION
Beneficiaries	CLUSTER VARNA BUSINESS CONSULT FEDERATION OF TRADE –PRODUCTIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIPOF CENTRAL - EASTERN MACEDONIA AND THRACE
Start Date	Apr 13, 2021
End Date	Sep 30, 2023
Budget	507.553,00 €
ERDF Contribution	431.420,05 €
National Contribution	76.132,95 €
Website	https://floreo-gr-bg.eu/

The 24-month long project FLOREO will provide tools for raising motivation, knowledge and skills of entrepreneurs, to innovate, create and take risks in starting business, as well as will facilitate the business of existing SMEs in the cross-border region. It will launch new paths for startups and organize support actions for existing enterprises with special focus on herb production and ecotourism. This will take place through joint actions for establishment of an appropriate business infrastructure and information center, both to serve the cross-border area after rehabilitation and equipping of a degraded plot and rented covered premises. Here, future entrepreneurs can develop and test their business ideas in a simulative and real environment, use business support services, related to the growing and offering unique herbs and flowers, which are to be found only in the GR-BG cross-border region as well as develop and test ideas in alternative tourism such as herbal and eco-tourism packages. A cross-border portfolio of skilled and experienced trainers and mentors will be created. Large communication and awareness raising campaign will support further dissemination of results.
Quantitative results: • ONE FLOREO Business Information and Support Center WEBSITE; • FIVE simulation models with training programs; • ONE portfolio with 12 skilled trainers and mentors; • ONE business tutorial for start-ups in the herbs production industry and ecotourism; • SEVEN forums (live and online) for presenting project results to local authorities and representatives of local and regional Economic Development Agencies, Municipalities and business support organizations from both countries; • ONE kickoff meeting and a forum to launch the project; • ONE reconstructed Business Information and Support Center and a rehabilitated HERB ALLEY as an ECO LAB for the practical training of herb producing entrepreneurs; • 35 trained entrepreneurs in SEVEN groups, including international participation.