The range of services offered by StartUp HUB – Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, Adult Education and Vocational Training has a new component. The newly established StartUp HUB Consulting Srl. which operates within the centre offers a wide range of services in the field of accessing non-reimbursable European funds for small and medium enterprises – project management, assistance in project submission and implementation, public procurement. The director of the company is Miklós Orbán, agricultural engineer, member of the board of directors of StartUp HUB, and the main consultant is Czimbalmos K. Csongor.
Miklós Orbán got involved in the world of non-reimbursable projects after graduation. Through his own business, he gained experience of the funding opportunities offered by the European Union programmes for the agricultural sector, farmers and agricultural enterprises. Czimbalmos K. Csongor, senior consultant, for 10 years has been employed by one of the leading county consultancy companies in the field of European non-reimbursable funds, gaining extensive experience in various funding opportunities. Both have participated in the implementation of projects targeting the agricultural segment, financed by EU funds. In the case of funding targeting the agricultural sector, the advantage is – and for this reason many farmers in Covasna county have applied successfully – the fact that it is aimed at a smaller group, the number of possible beneficiaries is relatively small, i.e. farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs. For this reason, for example, farmers in Szeklerland have successfully accessed a significant proportion of the funds for farm modernisation. For this reason, the StartUP Hub gives an important role to the exploitation of these funding opportunities, at the same time the range of services is much wider, the activities of the society and the centre are not limited to a specific segment.
The results of a survey conducted last year by the StartUp Covasna Association, the “predecessor” of the StartUp Hub – when 300 start-up and long-standing entrepreneurs from Covasna county responded to the association’s online questionnaire – reflected that entrepreneurship and interest in non-reimbursable grants was high. The overwhelming majority of respondents indicated tourism or agriculture as a possible area for which they would start a business or use a non-reimbursable grant. Non-reimbursable grants that can be used for rural development are excellent start-up or development tools in the two areas mentioned, and the StartUp Hub team of consultants has significant professional experience in this area. Further, as one of the main objectives of the StartUp Hub is the development of the county’s economy through the services offered to newly established SMEs, the centre’s specialists in accessing non-reimbursable funds also provide assistance to applicants in exploiting funding opportunities aimed at increasing the competitiveness of enterprises, firms.
The overall aim of the new business – in line with the StartUp Hub’s mission – is to bring the various EU funding opportunities closer to county economic actors through its services. Accordingly, the services offered include: identification of funding opportunities, detailed and easily digestible information for clients, preparation of funding applications, expert advice on project implementation and assistance in public procurement where appropriate. The survey also found that the three most common reasons why many people do not access grant funding to implement projects are: lack of information, bureaucracy and fear of failure. StartUp Hub specialists also offer substantial help in overcoming these obstacles.
StartUp HUB Press Office