Public and business support institutions create a business support infrastructure and offer a wide range of services in Kaunas region, such as:

• Support to investors

Kaunas Regional Development Agency in co-operation with economic development or investment divisions of the municipalities provides services for the investors such as relevant information related to the investment process, assistance to site selection and organizes company visits.

• Support to SME’s

Every municipality in Kaunas region has financial resources for SME’s. However, this amount is relatively low and varies in different municipalities. Lithuania is also providing direct support to SME’s from European Regional Development and European Social Funds.

• Consulting services

Business information centers are located in every major town in Kaunas region and provide information services to business in the field of financial support to start-ups, recruitment, taxation, municipal and national direct support to SME’s.

• Support from EU Structural Funds

Kaunas Regional Development Agency, local business information centers and Lithuanian Innovation Centre provide services related to the application submission process to different EU Structural funds.

• Other financial support schemes

State (owned) company INVEGA provides credit guarantees for SME’s having less than 100 employees. INVEGA covers from 50 to 80% of a loan given to SME by bank. Another service, provided by INVEGA is compensation of loan interest by 50%. For more information: www.invega.lt

• Support to export related activities

Lithuanian Development Agency, Kaunas Chamber of Commerce and Industry organize missions to other markets. Meetings with international partners are held according to the particular interest of the company.

Former export-import insurance company COFACE BALTICS, currently owned by French COFACE, provides insurance services for trade contracts with international partners.

• Participation in exhibitions

Ministry of Economy also supports participation of the companies in international exhibitions and cover up to 50% of the participation costs directly.

• Technology Transfer

KTU Regional Business Incubator and Kaunas office of Lithuanian Innovation Centre, members of European IRC network, provide services for the companies such as technology auditing and technology transfer.

• Start-ups (Incubation)

KTU Regional Business Incubator provides office space, training and consulting services in marketing and business administration, finds financial resources or schemes of financing, assists SME’s, start-ups and spin-offs to participate in exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad.

• Support to R&D

More than 15 million Euros were allocated from European Regional Development Fund for the programming period 2004 - 2006 for R&D activities. Implementing body is Lithuanian Business Support Agency under the Ministry of Economy. There are no definite figures of what amount for R&D support will be assigned for the period 2007-2013, but it is clear that it will increase several times.

• Other

There are several local representatives of business associated bodies such as Kaunas Chamber of Commerce and Industry, local branch of Lithuanian Industrialists’ Confederation, Lithuanian Innovation Centre in Kaunas region. However other agencies such as Lithuanian Development Agency or Lithuanian Development Agency for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises are located in Vilnius. Nevertheless, they also provide services for the companies operating or investing in Kaunas region.