“From Successful to Novice” Small Business Support Program

Through the “From Successful to Novice” Small Business Support Program, the “My Step” Foundation is pursuing the goal of not only promoting small business development in Armenia, but also shaping a new culture of charity and turning it into a tradition. It is the duty of the Foundation to work for not only people who receive charity, but also people who make their contributions. Life is changing at a rapid pace, and very often people simply can’t find the time to undertake charitable initiatives and be consistent with their implementation. Through the “From Successful to Novice” Program, the Foundation serves as a bridge between those who have achieved success in different fields and those who are taking their first steps in those fields, and it is supporting and following them to make sure the charity is targeted and purposeful and to make sure the charity leads to the creation of a public good.

In its turn, small business plays a leading role in inclusive economic development, the ensuring of stable employment and the formation of the middle class of society in Armenia, as well as in the socio-economic sustainability and the creation of new jobs in the country. Small business entities often face problems on the path to development, including inaccessibility of financial resources, lack of business skills (management, organizational-legal planning and knowledge of the Tax Code), hardships of entering and positioning in the market, etc. Thanks to this Program, small business entities will receive financial assistance, resources and professional training to implement their business ideas or expand their already existing small businesses.

The Program will be carried out twice (in the spring and autumn); the launch of every stage of the Program will be preceded by a charity event, all the proceeds of which will go to the beneficiaries of the Program. Through the Program, the beneficiaries will take part in a business planning and administration course (orientation course, marketing, management, industrial planning and finance), as a result of which they will draw up business plans, and grants will be given to the participants with the best business plans. The Program is open for people who currently have small businesses and people with business ideas.

The Program is designed for those who are doing business in the sectors of manufacturing and service (including education and culture) or those who have business ideas in the sectors concerned. War veterans and their family members, those who were forcefully displaced from Artsakh, victims of domestic violence and others are among the members of the primary target group that will receive assistance through the Program.

The Foundation will issue an additional announcement on the launch of every stage of the Program, the participants of the charity event in the particular stage and the target group of Program beneficiaries, as well as the procedure for acceptance of applications for the grant, conduct of the Program and selection of the winners.