3 June 2015 Director of the Innovation Association "Republican Center for Technology Transfer" (RCTT) Dr. Alexander Uspenskiy and Chairman of the Presidium of the Association of legal entities "Republican Confederation of Entrepreneurship" (RCE) Mr. Vladimir Karyagin signed with the European Commission (EC) Cooperation Agreement under Article 7 (COSME) on realization of the project "Creation of the Business Cooperation Centre "Enterprise Europe Network Belarus" (BCC "EEN Belarus"). On the part of the EC the Agreement was signed by the Head of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) Mr. Jose Puigpelat.

The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is a key instrument in the EU's strategy to boost growth and jobs. Bringing together around 600 business support organisations from more than 50 countries EEN helps small companies seize the unparalleled business opportunities in the EU Single Market.

In accordance with the Agreement, RCTT acts as project coordinator and RCE as a partner of the project on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. Start of the project - 15 March 2015, the end - 31 December 2021.

The project BCC "EEN Belarus" was prepared by RCTT and RCE with the participation of the State Scientific Institution "Centre of System Analysis and Strategic Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus" (CSASR) and the Belarusian Institute of System Analysis and Information Support of Scientific and Technical Sphere (BelISA) in the call of the EC to third countries "COS-Art-7-001 - Call for Expressions of Interest - 'Business Cooperation Centres' in third countries for the Enterprise Europe Network (2015-2020)".

The project is supported by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus, and the Delegation of the European Union European Union to Belarus. During the preparation of the draft of the project, RCTT - in both rounds - had significant consulting support from the CDFB EU Project and the Coordinating Unit for the European Union's Tacis Programme in the Republic of Belarus.

The aim of the project BCC "EEN Belarus" is to encourage the provision of services to support cross-border business cooperation, technology transfer, and research collaboration on the basis of mutual benefit via the Enterprise Europe Network.