Business incubators. Effective means to support private initiative.

Abstract

The Romanian Business Incubators are financed from private and public sources. The Business Incubators financed from public funds, are part of The National and Multiannual Program of Establishment and Development of Technological and Business Incubators in Romania (2002-2012). This Program is coordinated by The Agency of Implementation of Projects and Programs for Small and Medium Enterprises (A.I.P.P.SME’s), and implemented by The United Nations Development Program (P.N.U.D.), Romania. The main objective of the Program is to develop small and medium enterprises (SMS’s) sector in Romania, by establishing Business Incubators and by improving the efficiency of the existing Business Incubators. The small and medium enterprises selected in the Program receive grants for the acquisition of equipments necessary for starting their activity, and during the incubation period receive partial  eimbursement of cost with utilities and consultancy services. Part of this Program is also the project named “Establishment and Development of Business Incubators in Romania”. This project started in 2006 with three Business Incubators located in Alba Iulia (Alba), Brasov (Brasov) and Sfantu Gheorghe (Covasna). These three Business Incubators where financed by the government in partnership with U.N.D.P.. Each incubator is managed by an administrator. The first incubation cycle started with these three incubators and it included 57 companies.