The Asia-Invest II Programme is an initiative by the European Commission to promote and support business co-operation between the EU and Asia. The Programme provides assistance to intermediary business organizations to facilitate mutually beneficial partnerships between companies, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the EU and South and South-East Asia and China; as well as to strengthen the business environment to increase trade and investment flows between the two regions. The Asia-Invest Programme commenced in 1997, and has since entered a second phase of implementation from 2003 to 2007, with a Commission contribution of €35 million.

The Asia-Invest II Programme is designed to help companies, in particular SMEs, internationalise their business strategies and to facilitate business co-operation between companies in the European Union (EU)
and Asia.

The objectives of the Asia-Invest II Programme are:
- Strengthening the EU’s political and economic presence across Asia
- Raising awareness of Europe in Asia and vice versa
- Strengthening mutual trade and investment flows between the regions
- Reinforcing the private sector and new business development opportunities
- Enhancing the export capabilities and foreign direct investment prospects of the less developed countries
- in Asia1 (LDCs)
- Promoting integration of Asian countries into the Information Society
- Promote the programme in Mongolia and North Korea, which have become eligible to participate under
- Asia-Invest II

PRIORITY ISSUES FOR THIS CALL
This Call for Proposals seeks proposals for economic co-operation projects that carry out the following types
of activities:

- Matchmaking Activities between European and Asian SMEs, including the business preparation and follow-up that improve the quality of activities and facilitate the conclusion of partnership agreements.
- Asian Private Sector Development, in the form of technical assistance to Asian enterprises with strong potential for partnership with European companies.
- Institutional Reinforcement consisting of capacity building of Asian intermediary business organizations and enhanced networking with European counterparts including EU chambers of commerce in Asia.

The programme comprises the following four components for which grant support may be offered:
VENTURE
INTERPRISE
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
ALLIANCE

View the Asia-Invest 2003-2007 Flyer.

Eligible countries are the 25 Member States of the European Union and 19 Asian countries:
EU: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam

For information please click here.