Shortlisted in the EBRD successful cases

On February 22, the XI annual meeting of the Coordination Committee of Cooperation Programs between the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) was held. General Director of the management company of the Astana Tower business center Zhanar Yesseneyeva took part in the meeting as a representative of one of the most successful project cases consulted within the framework of the EBRD program.

In 2022, the management company of the Astana Tower business center received consulting services from Retail Space on the redesign of the SAMAL shopping center as part of the EBRD program “Consultations for Small Businesses in Kazakhstan.” In 2024, we are in the process of implementing a redevelopment project for the building and planning to open an updated space, renamed “SPACES”.

As for the meeting itself, the chairman was the First Vice Minister of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Timur Zhaksylykov. In his speech, Mr. Zhaksylykov noted that the comprehensive support is provided to entrepreneurs within the framework of the Business Advisory Services Program and the Women in Business Program, which are implemented by the EBRD and co-financed by the Ministry of National Economy. “The programs include both financial and non-financial support instruments. They are aimed at creating a favorable environment for doing business and are a catalyst for the dynamic development of enterprises. In addition, a powerful reserve of qualified and competent consultants has been created to provide a wide range of relevant business services,” said the First Vice Minister.

2,000 enterprises have received individual support in the form of consulting projects since 2013 (according to the EBRD). 70% of projects have been implemented in the regions, including 15% with rural enterprises. As a result of consulting, 10 thousand new jobs were created by small and medium-sized companies.

In turn, the Head of the EBRD Advisory Services Program in Central Asia and Mongolia, Simone Ze Atanasovski, emphasized that it was in Kazakhstan that the Bank first launched a mentoring program for women entrepreneurs and our country was one of the first to launch a special program to support innovative startups, Star Venture. The EBRD's Youth in Business program will also begin operating here.

According to EBRD Deputy Director for Kazakhstan Askar Namazbayev, in 2023 alone in Kazakhstan the Bank invested and mobilized more than €330 million in 21 projects, and more than 90% of this amount came from private sector clients.