NORTH MACEDONIA                          
         BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM PROJECT 
         Quarterly Progress Report  
          July 1, 2021 – September 30, 2021 (Q4 FY2021) 
          
         AID-165-C-17-00001 
          Chief of Party:   Dejan Janevski 
              Email:  dejan.janevski@thepalladiumgroup.com 
            Telephone:  +389 71 396 089 
             CONTENTS 
             INDEX OF COMMON ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS                               2 
             PROJECT BACKGROUND                                                       4 
             OVERVIEW                                                                 5 
             HIGHLIGHTS                                                               7 
             OBJECTIVE 1: IMPROVED BSO SERVICES TO MSMES                              9 
             OVERVIEW                                                                 9 
             BEP LOCAL PARTNER CAPACITY BUILDING                                      9 
             OBJECTIVE 2: IMPROVED ACCESS TO FINANCING                                9 
             OVERVIEW                                                                 9 
             OBJECTIVE 3: INCREASING PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT                       10 
             OVERVIEW                                                                10 
             INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES  11 
             PUBLIC OUTREACH                                                         15 
             OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION                                           15 
             MONITORING, LEARNING AND EVALUATION                                     19 
             OVERVIEW                                                                19 
             CLOSING OUT OBJECTIVE SPECIFIC INDICATORS                               19 
             DIFFICULTIES WITH DATA COLECTION                                        19 
             ANNEX I: BEP PERFORMANCE DATA TABLE (JULY – SEPTEMBER 2021)             21 
             NARRATIVE EXPLANATION OF THE REPORTED DATA                              28 
             ANNEX II: FINANCIAL REPORT                                              30 
             ANNEX III: PROCUREMENTS LIST                                            32 
             ANNEX IV: CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES                                        33 
             ANNEX V: PIKTOGRAMS                                                     36 
             PIKTOGRAM: DEPICTING ACHIEVED RESULTS THROUGH OBJECTIVE 2               36 
             PIKTOGRAM: DEPICTING ACHIEVED RESULTS THROUGH OBJECTIVE 3               36 
             ANNEX VI: SDC’S FINAL REPORT                                            37 
              
               INDEX OF COMMON ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 
                 A2F        Access to Finance                                                           
                 AHK        Auslandshandelskammer 
                 BA         Business Angel 
                 B2B        Business to Business 
                 BEP        Business Ecosystem Project 
                 BME        Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik 
                 BSCI       Business Social Compliance Initiative 
                 BSO        Business Support Organization 
                 CEED       Center for Entrepreneurship and Executive Development 
                 CLA        Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation (or Collaborate, Learn, Adapt) 
                 CM         Concurrence Memo 
                 COR        Contracting Officer’s Representative 
                 CUP        Center for Change Management 
                 DBNM       Development Bank of North Macedonia 
                 DTIDZ      Directorate of the Technological Industrial Development Zones  
                 DVM        Doctor of Veterinary Medicine  
                 ECMT       European Conference of Ministers of Transport  
                 ECNWM  Economic Chamber of Northwest Macedonia 
                 EU         European Union 
                 ENER       Single Electronic Register of Legislation  
                 FF         Financial Facilitator 
                 FI         Financial Institution 
                 FITD       Fund for Innovation and Technology Development 
                 FY         Fiscal Year 
                 GEF        Global Ecological Fund 
                 GEW        Global Entrepreneurship Week 
                 IME        Increasing Market Employability Project 
                 IPARD      Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance for Rural Development 
                 J2SR       Journey to Self-Reliance 
                 LOP        Life of Project 
                 MAFWE      Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy 
                 MAMEI      Macedonian Association of Metal and Electrical Industry 
                 MATA       Macedonian Artisan Trade Association 
                 MECA       Macedonian E-Commerce Association 
                 MEIP       Market Entry Information Packages 
                 MEL        Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning 
                 MFI        Microfinance Institution 
                 MME        Macedonian Manufacturing Expo 
                 MoE        Ministry of Economy 
                 MoES       Ministry of Education and Science 
                 MoF        Ministry of Finance 
                 MoU        Memorandum of Understanding 
                 MSE        Macedonian Stock Exchange 
                 MSME       Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise 
                 N/A        Not applicable 
                 NBRM       National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia 
                 O1         BEP Objective 1 
                 O2         BEP Objective 2 
                 O3         BEP Objective 3 
                 ODC        Other Direct Cost 
                
               USAID BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM PROJECT                           QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT (JUL 1 – SEP 30, 2021) | 2 
                
                                                                                                                                                                             PM                                                                                                                      Project Manager 
                                                                                                                                                                             PO                                                                                                                      Purchase Order 
                                                                                                                                                                             PR                                                                                                                      Public Relations 
                                                                                                                                                                             PSE                                                                                                                     Private Sector Engagement 
                                                                                                                                                                             QW                                                                                                                      Quick Win 
                                                                                                                                                                             RFQ                                                                                                                     Request for Quotations 
                                                                                                                                                                             RNM                                                                                                                     Republic of North Macedonia 
                                                                                                                                                                             SDC                                                                                                                     Strategic Development Consulting  
                                                                                                                                                                             SWISS-EP                                                                                                                Swiss Entrepreneurship Program 
                                                                                                                                                                             TIDZ                                                                                                                    Technological Industrial Development Zones  
                                                                                                                                                                             TTA                                                                                                                     Textile Trade Association 
                                                                                                                                                                             USAID                                                                                                                   United States Agency for International Development 
                                                                                                                                                                             USG                                                                                                                     United States Government  
                                                                                                                                                                             VET                                                                                                                     Vocational Education Training  
                                                                                                                                                                             VFX                                                                                                                     Visual Effects                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                                             YES                                                                                                                     Youth Entrepreneurship Service Foundation                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                       USAID BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM PROJECT                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT (JUL 1 – SEP 30, 2021) | 3