USAID EMPOWER PRIVATE SECTOR ACTIVITY - IN PARTNERSHIP ...

February 14, 2020

USAID EMPOWER PRIVATE SECTOR ACTIVITY - IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SIDA

FINAL REPORT

July 2014 – January 2020

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector Activity in Partnership with Sida

FINAL REPORT

JULY 2014 – JANUARY 2020

Submitted by:

Cardno Emerging Markets USA, Ltd.

Submitted to:

USAID/Kosovo

Contract No.:

AID-167-C-14-00005

EMPOWER Private Sector

DISCLAIMER

This report is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of Cardno Emerging Markets USA, Ltd. and do not necessarily reflect neither the views of USAID, or the United States Government, or Sida.

EMPOWER Private Sector Activity

Final Report: July 2014 – January 2020 Page 1

CONTENTS

1. Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 2

2. Activities and Tasks ................................................................................................................... 5

2.1 Component 1: Competitive SMEs .......................................................................................... 5

2.1.1 Wood Sector ........................................................................................................................... 5

2.1.2 Apparel Sector ........................................................................................................................ 7

2.1.3 Energy Sector .......................................................................................................................... 8

2.1.4 Other Production Sectors ..................................................................................................... 11

2.2 Component 2: Workforce Development ............................................................................ 12

2.2.1 ICT Sector .............................................................................................................................. 13

2.3 Markets and Export – Diaspora Linkages ............................................................................ 15

2.4 Technical Assistance ...................................................................................................... 16

2.5 Cross-Cutting Issues ............................................................................................................. 17

2.5.1 Women ................................................................................................................................. 18

2.5.2 Youth .................................................................................................................................... 19

2.5.3 Minorities and North Kosovo ............................................................................................... 19

2.5.4 Environmental Compliance .................................................................................................. 20

2.6 General and Administrative ................................................................................................. 21

2.6.1 Strategic Activities Fund Management ................................................................................. 20

3. Results vs. Performance Management Indicators ................................................................. 23

3.1 Analysis of Sales and Job Grwoth by Sector……………………………………………………………….…….22

3.2 Summary of Impact by Support Area……………………………………………………………………….……..23

3.3 Allocation of Assistance Budget…………………………………………………………………………….………..24

3.4 Progress versus Performance Management Indicators…………………………………………….………25



1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY USAID EMPOWER Private Sector was a five-and-a-half-year $14.3M USAID-funded activity, in partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (“Sida”), dedicated to increasing competitiveness and facilitating job creation in selected growth-ready sectors: wood processing, apparel, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), energy efficiency, tourism, and other opportunistic sectors. To achieve its mission, the activity worked with over 600 Kosovo businesses and service providers to expand buyer connections, increase and improve production, address skills needs through specific training and internship programs, obtain critical quality certifications, and facilitate access to finance.

By its completion, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity exceeded all of its contractual targets as shown in the table below.

One of the project’s main objectives was to address high levels of unemployment in Kosovo, which remains one of the highest in Europe (estimated at over 30%), particularly among youth and women. Working closely with its partner businesses, public sector, and the donor community, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector facilitated creation of 5,109 new jobs over the course of the activity. It also enhanced social inclusion agenda in the private sector by supporting four priority populations: women, youth, ethnic minorities, and other vulnerable groups. Out of the total of 5,109 new jobs created, 1,870 were for women and 1,532 for youth.

The activity achieved tremendous success in its market linkages activities, particularly in the export markets, with diverse approaches and activities that enabled the private sector businesses to find new market opportunities. In addition to showcasing Kosovo producers and service providers in leading industry trade fairs and B2B events in European markets, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector successfully identified and facilitated a connection to a Producers Sales Agent (PSA) for furniture producers in Kosovo, which enabled the greater presence of Kosovo products in the European market. This activity helped Kosovo producers sell their products through reputable e-commerce platforms for consumers throughout Europe, such as the Amazon.de

where several Kosovo companies are now selling their products through the Schwarzwald Massivhold brand. The brand was developed in 2016 with the project’s support and generated over $2.3 million in sales up to date.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also coordinated domestic B2Bs, which connected SMEs with buyers in Germany, Switzerland and other countries. The relationships cultivated at these events helped

3,102

16,755

10,304

30,837

50,000

7388,208

25,345

49,933

100,837

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

EXPORTS INCREASE ($000)

exports increase TARGET exports increase ACTUAL



SMEs secure sales contracts and to increase the quality of production based on buyer’s requirements. The success of these interventions, in addition to the market linkages activities described above, is clearly demonstrated by the impressive growth of partner businesses’ sales and exports with the help of the USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity, which generated $214 million in new sales over the course of the project, of which over $101 million were from exports, which was more than double of the activity target of $50M.

SMEs in Kosovo need growth finance. With high collateral requirements and limited non-bank financing options, access to finance remains a challenge. To address this, the activity employed a Strategic Activities Fund (SAF). Designed similarly to an equity investment vehicle, SAF funds were “invested” in businesses based on a target return on investment (ROI) – the number of new jobs created. SMEs in the select sectors were encouraged to apply and demonstrate their innovative job-creating ideas in order to participate in an open and transparent selection process. Of particular importance was companies’ willingness to invest their own funds encouraging private sector engagement and ensuring the sustainability of the supported interventions. The activity then worked closely with the partners to ensure that their joint investment is a success. Through this process, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity forged close relationships with partner businesses, as well as public sector and other donors, who jointly complemented the project’s SAF and other investments with almost $20M in co-financing, reaching an impressive 5X leverage ratio.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector also focused on strengthening the business relationships between Kosovo SME’s, and diaspora businesses. The project established a partner relationship with Albanian Diaspora Business Network (ADBN), mainly with its European chapters, which enabled organizing three major events to foster connections between Kosovo businesses with those of diaspora. The main component of these events was B2B conventions that enabled Kosovar businesses to meet with diaspora companies to identify concrete investment and export opportunities for their products and services. The three B2B Conventions resulted in over 700 B2B meetings held between 445 diaspora and foreign businesses and 214 Kosovo businesses. As a result, 60 new deals were initiated, and over $1.3 million in reported new sales contracts signed. These events enabled many business linkages that resulted in a much-needed increase in exports of Kosovo products and services.

6,608

1,065

61,824

15,580

28,000

56,029

56,000

106,003

100,000

214,254

0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000

TargetActualTargetActualTargetActualTargetActualTargetActual

Year

1Ye

ar 2

Year

3Ye

ar 4

Year

5

Attributed aggregate sales increase of beneficiaries ($000)



Another major success of the project was the development and release of two editions of the comprehensive business catalog “Our Products – Kosovo Ready to Export”, which featured 116 export-ready Kosovo producers. The catalog was produced in print and electronic form in three languages, Albanian, English and German, to target foreign businesses. The electronic catalog published online achieved over 16,000 views. Several governmental institutions, including the Ministry of Diaspora, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested copies of these catalogs, in order to use them as promotional material.

Kosovo, wood-processing, apparel and metal-processing companies benefited from training workshops on lean manufacturing. The project provided the training with the aim of improving the operating performance, productivity, and competitiveness of companies in these sectors. These trainings were offered as a result of an assessment and a need identified by the private sector for improvement of their efficiency and productivity. Over 30 participants from 24 manufacturing companies were trained on best practice manufacturing techniques including 5S, waste reduction, and development of cross-functional lean teams. Initially, wood-processing company Divani was directly supported to implement lean manufacturing at the firm level. Through lean manufacturing implementation, Divani is estimated to have improved its efficiency and reduced waste by 20%. Acknowledging the results of direct assistance at Divani, which served as a model of practical implementation of lean manufacturing, three additional companies, requested from the project to support them with implementation of these practices at their operations.

The Project worked closely with seven Kosovo apparel companies to introduce Standard Allowed Minute (SAM) technique which is widely used by garment producers in the apparel manufacturing industry around the world. As a result of this assistance, the companies reported increasing production efficiency by an estimated 20%. In addition, they improved operations management at the labor level. One of the training beneficiaries, Puntex, reported that through this direct technical assistance, the company managed to better account for their current production capacities, document daily productions and errors, and most importantly the payment structure for operators.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector supported marginalized groups, with special focus to minorities in Northern Kosovo. In addition to support for increasing production and improving quality of its products, Peppermint International, was supported by the project to attended BIOFACH, the world’s leading trade fair for organic food, held in Nuremberg, Germany. The company, which was established in 2012 in Leposavic, produces essential oils from a wide variety of wild-growing medicinal and aromatic plants. At this fair, the company signed a lucrative deal with a Swiss company to export its organic products and made over 15 serious contacts and agreements to provide product samples to companies from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and China.

Throughout its implementation, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity collaborated closely with industry associations, including the Association of Wood Processors of Kosovo (AWPK), the Kosovo Apparel Marketing Association (KAMA), the ICT association, STIKK, and the Kosovo Manufacturing Club (KMC) - all of whom are now capable institutions supporting the competitiveness of the Kosovo private sector. The activity also partnered with financial institutions, Government of Kosovo (GoK) agencies, and development agencies such as the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and others to help Kosovo businesses create new jobs, increase sales and increase exports into new markets.

2019 edition of the business catalogue “Our Products - Kosovo Ready to Export”



2. ACTIVITIES AND TASKS

2.1 Component 1: Competitive SMEs USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s work in Component 1 involved direct support to businesses with market opportunities for firm-level growth. The project provided companies support in four key areas: expanding production capacities, connecting to markets (export and import substitution), improving productivity and quality, and obtaining skilled workers (WfD). Component 1 covers the first three of these categories, while Component 2 (on WfD, see relevant section below) includes the fourth category. Companies targeted under Component 1 are mainly in the wood, apparel, energy, tourism, and "other” sectors.

The table below provides an overview of Component 1 activities and cumulative results.

Component 1 Summary –Cumulative

Support Area Activities

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity Inv. $000

Co-Finance $000

New Jobs

Sales Increase $000

Cuml Cuml Cuml Cuml Cuml Prod. Expansion 79 2,619 14,960 2,623 142,146 Markets 106 1,096 2,839 551 28,943 Quality 25 120 213 94 1,859 Business Env’t 23 263 331 - - TOTAL 233 4,098 18,342 3,268 172,948

2.1.1 Wood Sector

The wood processing sector was selected by USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity as one of Kosovo’s most promising growth sectors. Over the course of the project, the quality of products produced by the sector increased to the point where wood processors producing chairs, tables, and cabinets can now compete internationally. Significant strides were achieved during this period in the production of upholstered furniture, interior elements, and, especially, contract furniture. Moreover, owing to its current technical capacity and know-how, the Kosovo wood processing industry is now particularly well positioned to begin manufacturing hand-made luxury products.

Based on Kosovo customs data, the wood processing sector’s export sales are growing rapidly, from $3.2M in 2015 (when USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity started), to $18M estimated in 2017. Furthermore, data collected in November 2018 for the Wood Industry Convention held that year estimated that exports sales of the wood processing industry went up to $25.8M.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity partnered with wood processing companies to improve their production capacities, attend international trade

Furniture fair in Paris, France, during a trade mission involving Kosovo wood processing companies.



fairs, obtain various international certifications, and technical assistance. As a result, partner businesses rapidly upgraded their technology, positioning the wood processing sector to take advantage of export market opportunities, especially those in the EU.

The project provided crucial support to expand the wood processing industry’s access to international markets by helping partner businesses to attend key international trade shows. This support was provided in collaboration with government partners such as the domestic investment promotion agency, KIESA, AWPK, and GIZ. The project, most notably, supported partner businesses’ participation at critical fairs such as the IMM international fair, the MOW fair, and Swissbau fair. Partner businesses also attended other events such as the Salone di Mobile, Italy; Ligna, Germany; Brussels Furniture Fair, Belgium; Esprit Meuble, France; and a trade mission in Belgium.

USAID through EMPOWER Private Sector activity assisted companies to gain valuable knowledge to the wood processing companies in the form of technical assistance. Process optimization tools in lean manufacturing were transferred to 15 wood processing companies, while lean manufacturing methods were implemented in three companies. In one particular case, implementation of lean manufacturing tools is estimated to have improved company efficiency by 30% and decreased wasteful activities by another 20%. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also supported six wood processing companies with various pricing and accounting tools, which helped companies take an important step towards improving their competitiveness and constructing credible export price lists. Finally, the activity provided a wood painting and finishing practical training course to seven Kosovo wood processing companies, including one company from North Kosovo.

One of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s most notable achievements in the sector is the establishment and organization of the first Wood Industry Convention. The project, with the support of AWPK, delivered a total of four Wood Industry Conventions, with the last two led by AWPK. The Convention has become a signature event for the wood processing industry and provides an important venue to showcase Kosovo products, foster business to business linkages, encourage students to compete on best design concepts, and address important policy challenges.



The table below summarizes USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s assistance to the Kosovo wood sector from project outset.

Wood Sector Activities & Impact, in $000s Period #Activities #Firms EMP $ Co-Fin $ New Jobs New Sales $ Trainees Cuml 68 69 1,501 8,468 1,510 82,180 126

*Includes SBs.

2.1.2 Apparel Sector

Kosovo’s apparel sector is small but has significant potential for growth, particularly for women and youth. Kosovo-made jeans, uniforms, t-shirts, underwear, and sportswear are some of the products that are replacing imports. The greatest potential for growth is in export contracting, through design labels or “Cut-Make-Trim” (CMT). Over the last five and a half years, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity helped apparel partner businesses upgrade their technology, optimize production, and improve their quality to meet Western design standards.

The activity supported apparel sector partner businesses by investing in production expansion, creating market linkages, obtaining international certificates, and transferring practical knowledge through technical assistance. As a result, partner businesses have expanded and improved their production capacities, enabling them to substitute imports, increase exports, and create new jobs.

The project’s support of partner businesses in the apparel sector allowed them to participate in 12 international fairs and outward trade missions. For instance, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity supported the participation of companies at the A+A Fair which specializes in uniforms and workwear, resulting in contracts between two partner businesses with a Dutch-based company Havep, generating $1.3 million in new sales and over 100 new jobs.

Critical know-how was transferred to partner businesses on production management systems and lean manufacturing. In seven apparel companies, simple systems for control over all operations and processes were established. As a result of this assistance, companies set up an inexpensive production management system leading to production efficiency enhancements. Technical assistance was also provided to shoe making company, Solid, to improve its product quality and new designs.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity supported sector businesses to establish and strengthen the sector’s main association, the Kosovo Apparel Marketing Association (KAMA). It facilitated KAMA’s registration, helped develop the organization’s workplan, established the KAMA web platform, and supported its public relations and outreach. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity co-organized most of its international visits involving partner businesses in close consultation with KAMA. As a result of the project’s support and capacity building KAMA expanded to include 65 apparel companies.



A key success of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity was the initiation of three Apparel Industry Conventions, co-organized with KAMA. These conventions became important industry events that provided a venue for apparel producers to exhibit their products, meet with potential business partners, and discuss policy questions aimed at mobilizing support for the industry. At the third convention, 15 companies exhibited, of which five were local designers. In several cases, the conventions generated concrete business deals, including export contracts.

The table below summarizes USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s assistance to the Kosovo apparel sector from the project’s onset.

*Includes SBs.

2.1.3 Energy Sector

The move towards clean energy, recycling and energy efficiency provides openings for Kosovo to create a wide range of business opportunities and an important source of new jobs. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity supported partner businesses included producers of renewable energy sources and energy-efficient construction materials as well as recyclers. The project supported partner businesses through a combination of financial assistance, external trade fair support, product quality improvements, and quality certifications.

With an average of 285 sunny days and over 2,000 hours of sun per year, Kosovo has tremendous solar energy potential (PV Magazine International, 2017)—even higher than that of Germany. The overall demand for photovoltaic (PV) solar panel installations increased from 2014 to 2017 by 4.52 MW. Additionally, in 2017, local production of PV solar panels increased by 923% from the previous year, amounting to $2.4 million in value or 72% of the total market.

The project helped the country’s first solar panel manufacturer, Jaha Solar, obtain five quality standard certifications for PV solar panels. These certifications qualified Jaha Solar to export to EU markets. The company signed a number of major contracts to supply and install photovoltaic solar panels, its largest project located in neighboring Montenegro. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity partnered with

Apparel Sector Activities & Impact, in $000s Period #Activities #Firms EMP $ Co-Fin $ New Jobs New Sales $ Trainees Cuml 42 48 605 1,273 601 14,005 478

Runway Show, third edition of the Apparel Convention.



Jaha Solar to promote solar panel installations for both households and small businesses through the Solar Roofs Project.

In total, with the project’s support, five companies from the energy sector were able to obtain 28 product quality certifications. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity even delivered the first certification program held in Kosovo on PV solar panel design and installation for solar installation companies. This event led to 17 PV solar panel designers and installers achieving internationally recognized TÜV certifications, thus boosting the competitiveness of Kosovo companies in local and international markets. In the wood biomass cluster, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity conducted and published a study titled the "Wood Biomass Value Chain Assessment", which set the framework for interventions in the cluster by focusing on quality improvements and a search for alternative sources of raw material. The report reviewed characteristics and performance of the two value chains, including inputs, production, outputs, distribution and consumption. It identified a set of clear opportunities, as well as bottlenecks that needed to be overcome in order for the individual company and/or value chain to improve performance. The report identified the urgent need among the large majority of pellet producers in Kosovo to improve productivity, implement international standards and coordinate logistics. On the opportunity side, the report showed strong and rapidly growing demand for pellets, as a cost-effective alternative to other sources of energy. This report and its finding were presented to biomass pallet producers in May of 2015, with detailed action plan, with six stand-alone interventions aiming to overcome the identified bottlenecks and seizing existing opportunities, and as a result boosting the performance of the two value chains.

According to the USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity-commissioned analysis, pellet consumption in Kosovo increased nearly six fold, from $2.7 million in 2014 to $21 million in 2017. Moreover, the increase in the rate of pellet consumption by around 100,000 tons in Kosovo highlights that the domestic demand for wood pellets is growing rapidly and ready to be tapped. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity supported the wood biomass cluster by providing five wood pellet producers with support for production expansion. One pellet production company was able to acquire in-house laboratory equipment for pellet quality analysis and then obtained an ENplus A2 quality certificate, a requirement for companies that export wood pellets to EU countries.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity supported one plastic recycler expand production and supported the establishment of glass and meat recycling processors. Two supply chain assessments were conducted for used vehicle oil and for flat glass, providing processors with valuable information on waste contributors, location, quantity, and frequency of supply. A total of 75 new jobs were created from the recycling cluster and $6.2 million in attributable sales were reported.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity established and organized an annual industry event known as the Green Festival. The main objective for initiating this event was to highlight all aspects of the growing “green industry” in Kosovo, including renewable energy generation, producers of insulation materials, and installers of renewable energy systems, waste recyclers, and users of recycled materials. The event was organized also to serve as a network opportunity for all stakeholders in the green sector in Kosovo, including GoK ministries, donors, and private industry. The aim of the events

PV certification training, site visit at Jaha Solar, on June 7th, 2019. Production Manager, Saranda Bytyqi explaining production process.



was also to promote the business of energy, and consequent job creation, stimulate needed legal/regulatory improvements for the green business environment and expand public awareness of the benefits of adopting green technologies, and how people can support environmental sustainability

For the last four years, the festival promoted Kosovo green businesses and raised both awareness and interest in recycling, renewable energy and energy efficiency. The second edition of the Green Festival had approximately 2,000 visitors, generated 39 new sales contracts and sales worth over $1.4 million which included exports to Switzerland and Egypt. During the third edition, 38 local companies exhibited, leading to 1,500 visitors and reported potential sales of $3 million. In the fourth edition, 47 local businesses exhibited, over 2,000 visitors attended, and $1.3 million reported sales were made.

The Green Festival also served as an important networking platform for green businesses, government agencies, donors and green energy stakeholders. Additionally, a Green Business web

platform was established, which facilitates networking among relevant energy actors. Going forward, the Green Festival and the Green Business platform will be run and managed by the Kosovo Manufacturing Club (KMC), ensuring that this crucial event and platform continues after the conclusion of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity.

The following table summarizes activities and impact within the energy sector.

Energy Sector Activities & Impact, in $000s Period #Activities #Firms EMP $ Co-Fin $ New Jobs New Sales $ Trainees Cuml 39 86 651 3,067 456 31,075 123

*Includes SBs.

2.1.4 Other Production Sectors

Aside from its primary focus sectors, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity was open to supporting firms in other sectors that demonstrated growth opportunities and the potential to create new jobs. Sectors supported included metal processing, food processing, health and beauty products, paper products, tourism, and automotive parts.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity assisted the Koshi Group, a manufacturer of high-quality carbon fiber body components for the automotive sector, in exhibiting at three international fairs. Its exhibition at the JEC World Paris in 2017 proved to be a game-changer, as the Koshi Group signed new

Ribbon-cutting ceremony of fourth edition of Green Festival, October 30, 2019.



sales contracts resulting in significant company growth. The project also provided an expansion grant and engaged a lean-manufacturing process improvement expert to help the company's expansion in production and better factory utilization. As a result, the Koshi Group hired 35 additional employees, quadrupled sales, shifted to being 100% export-oriented, and moved to a new factory with plans to further expand its workforce.

Ultra Cosmetics and the Bibita Group, produces a diversified range of paper wet wipes and beverage products. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity supported Ultra Cosmetics to install new wet wipes production line, financed the Bibita Group exhibition at two international fairs, and supported the Bibita Group and Ultra Cosmetics in obtaining two quality certificates, IFS and BSCI, for its personal care products. Bibita Group reached an important milestone in 2019 by expanding the number of countries to which it exports. At the Gulfood fair in Dubai, Bibita Group was a finalist for the Best Packaging Design for its product called DTX WTR, a detoxification water. Two years ago, Bibita won two prizes (Best Innovative Product and Best Packaging Design) at the same fair for the company’s Fitness Water DUM DUM.

KIVO Kosovo specializes in the production of bread bags, printed films and garbage bags. These products are mainly for export to the Dutch, Belgian and German markets, as well as several Western Balkan markets. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity supported KIVO’s purchase of extrusion machinery and gravimetric equipment. Now, KIVO Kosovo has hired over 100 employees and is currently operating on a continued 24-hour cycle for seven days a week.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also provided support to tourism products and services development. The project launched the new outdoor-adventure product in Kosovo, Via Dinarica, and worked with Kosovo tour operators on improving their business and marketing skills. By lobbying with the Kosovo Mountaineering and Alpine Federation, the Project was able to officially include Kosovo in the Via Dinarica trail. Additionally, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity promoted Kosovo tourism in the international media. For instance, the project had an article on Kosovo tourism published in Lufthansa Magazine. This article appeared on-board more than 270 aircrafts, flying to 220 destinations across five continents, and serving annually more than 62 million passengers.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity activities under “other” sectors included financial support, participation in trade fairs, technical assistance and certifications. The table below summarizes activities and impact.

Other* Production Sector Activities & Impact, in $000s Period #Activities #Firms EMP $ Co-Fin $ New Jobs New Sales $ Trainees

Cuml 89 345 1,993 5,622 990 44,215 1,015 * “Other” includes other sectors, metal, and general.

The pamphlet of the “Made in Kosovo House”.

The “Made in Kosovo House” constructed by local producer GreenHouse and the car accented by Kosovo carbon fiber auto parts manufacturer Koshi exhibited at the parking lot near the main entrance of Emerald Hotel in Prishtina.



2.2 Component 2: Workforce Development USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s Component 2 focused mainly on the provision of both in-company trainings, in the form of on-the-job trainings and internships, and academic or trade courses on skills that are relevant for the labor market.

The following table summarizes WfD interventions.

Component 2 – WfD Summary

Activities Trainees Jobs USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity $

Type Cuml Cuml Cuml Cuml Institutional 15 933 293 470 In Company 11 2,680 1,529 444 Systemic 6 84 19 136 TOTAL 32 3,697 1,841 1,050

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity supported workforce development activities across all of its target sectors. A total of 32 Workforce Development activities were undertaken by the activity during the life of the project, training over 3,697 individuals. These trainees were engaged by partner businesses, who received expansion grants from the project.

In collaboration with AWPK, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity organized and implemented two internship programs. A total of 101 interns were placed at wood processing companies and resulted in the creation of 78 jobs.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity supported the accreditation of a private Vocational Education Training (VET) provider in the wood processing sector. It aided the wood processing company, Shehu, in obtaining accreditation as a

private training provider as the Occupational Standard “Carpenter”, according to the National Qualifications Authority (NQA) procedures. This training is expected to increase the overall capacity of the future qualified workforce in Kosovo wood processing sector.

To support metal companies in identifying and implementing opportunities for quality improvement and productivity increase, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity financed the pre-certification training of 62 welders from seven metal processing companies. In addition, the project paid for 44 individuals to obtain the EN 9606 – 1:2012 certification on welding.



The activity supported the establishment of the BONEVET Makerspace in Prishtina and Kacanik. The BONEVET Makerspace provides new types of ICT, mechatronic, and other trainings that help children and youths develop knowledge and skills required in the labor market.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also implemented three workforce development programs targeting at-risk, vulnerable, and marginalized youths, aged 18-35, in four Kosovo municipalities of Gjilan, Viti, Kacanik, and Hani i Elezit. These programs included an On-The-Job (OTJ) Training Program implemented by KMC, a Self-Employment program implemented by HELP Kosovo, and a Tailored Training Program implemented by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) - Kosovo, AUK-TDI.

Under the OTJ Training Program, which involved a 3-month long in-company training, 255 Kosovo youth completed training. 131 of these youths were then retained in employment by partner businesses. Under the Self-Employment Program, a business skills course was delivered to 200 youth from the four aforementioned municipalities and 79 grants were provided to youth beneficiaries to open new businesses. Under the Tailored Training Program, 132 youth were trained in soft skills, remedial English, ICT, and German. These three programs trained 587 Kosovo youth and led to the employment of 210 individuals, the majority of whom were aged 18 – 24.

2.4.1 ICT Sector

ICT was a key focus sector of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity. The project supported companies in expanding their services, assisted employees in developing in-demand market skills, and facilitated both in-company and institutional ICT skills training.

A critical focus of the project in ICT included supporting the growth of call center outsourcing services. This is an expanding sector in Kosovo due to the prevalence of foreign language skills and relatively low wages. The sector is labor-intensive and has the potential to create many new jobs. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity supported the establishment of the company IQtoLink, a call center in Kosovo that serves large German clients. The company trained 1,330 individuals and currently employs 1,000 individuals in five locations across Kosovo. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also provided grants to grow and expand the exports of two other call centers, Baruti and Evrotarget, where a total of 844 individuals have been trained and 272 individuals have been employed.

Participants from the Tailored Training program after receiving their certificates at the award ceremony held in Prishtina.



In-classroom trainings were organized in collaboration with RIT Kosovo’s AUK Training and Development Institute (AUK-TDI), the ICT association STIKK’s Training Academy, and Females in IT (FIT). A special training for Women in Online Work (WoW) was organized and 135 females were trained in soft skills, web development, and graphic design.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity provided a grant to Open Data Kosovo (ODK) to support both the training of 30 women and the development of a mobile application Ec Shlirë (“walk freely”). The application, formulated through a series of workshops with young Kosovo women, allows individuals

to anonymously report sexual harassment while also analyzing collected data. The application is available in four languages and is being used around the world. Furthermore, it was featured by the New York Magazine in a feature on digital maps that help women around the world find safe routes home.

The activity supported Formon, the first three-dimensional (3D) desktop printer producer in Kosovo to make its own hardware, software and electronic parts, with a grant to attend one of the biggest events in the 3D printing industry - The Digital Show by iMakr in London, United Kingdom (UK). A subsequent grant was provided to Formon to conduct laboratory tests, enabling the company to obtain the CE Mark Certification. Later, the company won the prestigious German Design Award, a top award in the category of Excellent Product Design, for its 3D Formon Core printer. The German jury rated the 3D printer as "remarkable for the simplicity of its use in creating three dimensional models."

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also supported the attendance of Kosovo ICT service providers at B2B events in Germany and New York. These events allowed Kosovo ICT companies to learn about market opportunities and trends and to promote their services to a wider client base. The B2B meetings produced multiple business connections and resulted in numerous contracts for Kosovo ICT companies.

Several important ICT-related events were also supported during the lifetime of the project. For four years in a row, the activity supported the “International Day of Girls in ICT”, which encourages Kosovo girls and women to consider education and careers in ICT. Furthermore, the project supported the DocuTech technology conference for three years, the KosICT ICT conference for four years, and the Global Entrepreneurship Week for three years.

The following table captures results and impact for the ICT sector.

ICT Sector Activities & Impact, in $000s Period #Activities #Firms EMP $ Co-Fin $ New Jobs New Sales $ Trainees Cuml 28 65 373 1,535 1,552 42,779 2,625

*Includes SBs.

Opening speech by USAID Mission Director Lisa Magno, at the Girls in ICT Day 2019.



2.3 Markets and Export – Diaspora Linkages USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity launched several major initiatives with the Kosovo diaspora to stimulate connections with markets and increase the export of Kosovo products and services. It is more common that new business growth emerges by leveraging diaspora contacts in foreign markets than from marketing initiatives undertaken by the companies themselves. Fortunately, Kosovo’s diaspora is very active and has a keen eye for business opportunities.

The project’s main counterpart was the Albanian Diaspora Business Network (ADBN). USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity supported ADBN with the development of a five-year strategy to equip the network with the requisite operational and structural framework needed to ensure the sustainability of the organization. The five-year strategy aims to continue building ADBN’s connectivity and the service channels.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity co-organized three major B2B Conventions with the ADBN and its European chapters in order to connect Kosovo businesses with the diaspora and foreign businesses. Moreover, by attending these B2B conventions, Kosovo businesses would also be able to identify concrete investment and export opportunities for their products and services. The project worked with businesses across the sectors that had export-ready products or services.

The meetings garnered attention, due to the project’s development and release of two editions of the comprehensive business catalogue “Our Products – Kosovo Ready to Export”, which featured 116 export-ready Kosovo producers. The catalogue was produced in print and electronic form in three languages, Albanian, English and German, to target diaspora and foreign businesses. The electronic catalogue achieved over 16,000 views online.

The three B2B Conventions resulted in 700 B2B meetings held between 445 diaspora and foreign businesses and 214 Kosovo businesses. As a result, 16 contracts were executed, 60 new deals and offers initiated, and over $1.3 million in reported new sales contracts signed.

To further facilitate business links with diaspora and foreign businesses, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity organized the participation of Kosovo businesses in diaspora-organized events, including the organization of a trade mission. The activity facilitated the participation of eight Kosovo businesses at the Albanian Diaspora Business Fair in Vienna 2019, hosted by the Albanian Diaspora Business Network chapters. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also supported a trade mission for five wood processing companies to travel to Brusselsin order to connect with foreign partners in Belgium and the region, as well as diaspora businesses. The Kosovo Embassy in Belgium cooperated with USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity to assist in organizing the trade mission.



To improve export competitiveness, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity piloted an activity titled Export Readiness and Promotion Assistance (ERPA) aimed at improving the export-readiness of selected Kosovo partner businesses. The pilot included assessing the export readiness of selected companies, supporting the development of export market entry plans on selected products, and producing targeted industry-relevant research. Three export readiness assessments were finalized for Ciao Berto, a wood processor; Jasin, a stainless steel HORECA inox appliance manufacturer; and Wear & Go, an apparel producer. In addition, the project facilitated the development of export market entry plans for three companies: for Ciao Berto, a wood producer, the entry plan focused on customized kitchens; for Tiki Home, a wood producer, it focused on bedroom furniture; and for Bibita, a beverage producer, for health drinks. Finally, in collaboration with the AWPK, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity developed industry market research on the “international prospects of Kosovo furniture.”

In addition, through the 2019 edition of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival, DokuFest, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity provided a unique opportunity tailored for the diaspora titled, “DIASPORA @DokuFest”. It included three different packages in the form of a cultural visit, a gastronomic journey, a wine tasting experience, and kayaking. These events helped promote local businesses to the diaspora.

2.4 Technical Assistance USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s assistance included interventions designed to address knowledge gaps hindering the competitiveness of firms. The project scoped key sectors and developed a roadmap of technical assistance interventions in the wood processing, apparel and energy sectors. The primary focus of these interventions was the provision of support to companies to improve production management systems, institute lean manufacturing methods, and improve cost accounting and pricing strategies.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity provided a two-day lean manufacturing workshop to companies with the aim of improving their operating performance, productivity, and competitiveness. Over 30 participants from 24 manufacturing companies were trained on best practice manufacturing techniques including 5S, waste reduction, development of cross functional lean teams, and Kaizan. Wood processing companies such as Divani, the Koshi Group, Elnor and Berto were directly supported to implement lean manufacturing at the firm level which resulted in improved efficiency and reduced waste in production.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also supported Kosovo apparel companies with the introduction of a Production Management System (PMS). The intervention targeted seven Kosovo apparel companies. The PMS coaching and training was conducted to improve workplace and production line layout, operators’ efficiency and motivation, on-time delivery, line balancing, cost structure and customer relations. An integral part of the training was the introduction of the Standard Allowed Minute (SAM) technique which is widely used by industrial engineers and garment producers in the apparel manufacturing industry.

The project also delivered a technical assistance program to five companies in the wood processing sector on activity-based costing and price list construction. This activity was particularly relevant for companies already engaged in exporting or seeking to gain access to international markets. The assistance involved mentoring the companies in cost accounting and the preparation of future

PV certification training, site visit at Jaha Solar, on June 7th, 2019. Production Manager, Saranda Bytyqi explaining production process.



commercial offers and bids to clients using a standardized and accurate costing method. Standard costing templates and tools for costing and exporting purposes were provided to companies.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also delivered a painting and finishing technical course for the wood industry. A four-day training and mentoring course was delivered to 14 participants from seven wood processing companies, including a company from Northern Kosovo. In addition, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity delivered a cake design course for seven local sweet producers, followed by a one-day group workshop and training with 27 participants.

2.5 Cross-Cutting Issues The following cross-cutting objectives fed strongly into USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s selection of competitiveness and WfD interventions: (i) advancing the economic engagement of priority populations, including women, youth, and minorities like those based in North Kosovo; (ii) supporting microenterprise development; (iii) facilitating collaboration in economic growth assistance with other donors and the Government of Kosovo (GoK); and (iv) promoting environmental sustainability, including ensuring protection of the environment in project activities.

The following table demonstrates that USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s support for job creation benefitted all priority populations. Women accounted for more than a third of all hires in new jobs created since the beginning of the project, while youth accounted for nearly 30%. It is important to note that these categories overlap. Minorities were hired for nearly one-tenth of the jobs created.

Job Creation - Priority Populations Total Women Youth Minorities Women in Management Sector Cuml Cuml Cuml Cuml Cuml Apparel 601 473 272 36 19 Energy 456 75 67 54 2 ICT 1,552 702 551 58 60 Metal 106 13 15 33 - Other 776 292 164 252 20 Tourism* 109 - - - - Wood 1,510 315 463 63 12 Total 5,109 1,870 1,532 496 113

* Job creation in tourism is inferred and it is not possible to break it down across categories.

2.5.1 Women

The USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity engaged in various activities that supported, trained, and increased job opportunities for women in Kosovo. By the end of the program, the project created 1,870 new jobs for women, which represents 37% of the total new jobs created by USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity-supported activities.

The activity consistently supported women in management. The project extended its financial support to cover operational costs for the Kosovo Apparel Marketing Association and also supported the Association of Wood Processors of Kosovo, led by two female directors. Women managers at USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity-supported companies, such as Solid Shoes and S/Sprint, are thriving and are actively working to create more jobs for women.



USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity-beneficiary IQtoLink, a call center and customer service provider, recently became one of the biggest employers in Kosovo, reaching almost 1,000 employees. The company has made significant efforts to support the recruitment and inclusion of women through trainings and consulting. Moreover, following USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity support, IG-to-Link has employed over 430 women.

With USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity support, woman-owned apparel manufacturer, Lia Stublla, expanded to new markets and even designed dresses for international Hollywood and Bollywood stars. The designer’s dresses were worn by celebrities at the annual Oscars and Emmy award ceremonies in the United States. The company has currently employed 22 women, doubled since last year, and exports to more than 15 countries.

In the ICT sector, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity supported inclusion of women by training and engaging women in the ICT sector. For four years, the project supported the “International Day of Girls in ICT” held in Prishtina every April. In 2019 alone, more than 130 ambitious Kosovo girls and women participated in the workshops and received certifications. The event also included a job fair where young women were given the opportunity to meet with Kosovo companies recruiting for potential employees. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity was also one of supporters of the Women in Online Work (WOW) program that provided training to women from Gjilan and Prishtina to prepare them for online work. Over 1,700 women applied to take part in this program. The WOW training consisted of a two-month intensive in-class and home-based training on soft skills/employability, front-end web development, graphic design and remedial English, followed by a mentorship program held for a duration of three months.

2.5.2 Youth

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also focused on addressing youth unemployment and skills development through a variety of interventions, such as workforce development, trainings, and internship and apprenticeship programs. The activity supported the creation of more than 1,500 new jobs for youth, provided training to over 1,900, and placed over 1,500 young Kosovars in internships and apprenticeship programs.

Women employees working at IQ to Link. Since receiving a grant from EMPOWER in 2015, the company has created 833 new jobs, of which 363 are for women.



As part of annually-organized Wood Industry and Apparel Industry conventions, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity engaged students from various Kosovo colleges and universities to compete with their design concepts at Student Design Contests. Students were asked to submit their design concepts and the finalists’ designs were displayed during the conventions. The top three designs were awarded prizes. The conventions served as a stage for talented youth to showcase their furniture and interior product designs and apparel designs to companies and visitors. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also supported the establishment of the BONEVET Makerspace in Kacanik to prepare children and youth to make the transition from school to the workforce. BONEVET is a not-for-profit community that encourages imagination, problem-solving, creativity, and team building among youth. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s support enabled BONEVET Kacanik to set up two modules and cover the costs of office equipment and inventory.

2.5.3 Minorities and North Kosovo

North Kosovo Activities & Impact, in $000s

Period # of Activities # Firms EMP $ Co-Fin $ New Jobs New Sales $ Trainees Cuml 23 83 728 1,324 466 12,477 101

*Includes SBs.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity maintained a special focus on job creation in North Kosovo by supporting the expansion of opportunities in both domestic and foreign markets. The project helped partner businesses obtain equipment, information about market trends and new technologies, and consulting services to improve quality of existing products and services. Through this support, most of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s North Kosovo partner businesses transitioned from microenterprises to small or medium-sized companies.

One example from North Kosovo is that of Unipek, a bakery and food processing company, which established three new bakeries in North Mitrovica and Zvecan. Following USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s support, it invested an additional $110,000 in supply capacity and was able to quadruple the size of its workforce. Additionally, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s support to Godzi, the leading wood processing company in North Kosovo, enabled the company to operate at full capacity.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity financed Peppermint International LLC, an essential oil producer, so that they could visit the BIOFACH fair, the world’s leading trade fair for organic food in Nuremberg, Germany. At this fair, they were able to agree on future cooperation with a Swiss-based buyer. Partner companies such as Peppermint International LLC and As Promet undertook action to implement Organic Standard Certificates as a way of boosting competitiveness in the EU market. The certification is related to the production, processing, and export of organic medicinal and aromatic plants and non-wood forest and berry products. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also supported As Promet to implement quality certification ISO 22000 and an Organic standard. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also supported participation of North Kosovo partner businesses at Belgrade and Tirana furniture fairs, and the Anuga food and beverages fair.



An important intervention by USAID E MPOWER Private Sector activity included supporting North Kosovo agriculture producers and processors to apply for funds from Kosovo’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MAFRD). In total, 39 submitted their applications, of which 24 were considered for support. The total value of these 24 implemented activities amounted to $1 million, of which $825,000 was financed MAFRD funds and the rest by cost share from beneficiary companies.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity partner businesses from North Kosovo also participated in a joint skills development session with wood processing companies from other parts of Kosovo. This activity was conducted in close collaboration with AWPK and included 21 candidates from four North Kosovo wood processing companies. Partner companies from the North also participated in a specialized course on wood painting organized in Prishtina and another course on the decoration of confectionary products.

2.5.4 Environmental Compliance

The Initial Environmental Examination Document DCN: 2015-KOS-036 that applies to USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity Private Sector sets out the environmental reviewing, monitoring and reporting tasks for each activity subject to an environmental compliance procedure. Section 4.8.2 of the IEE provides that Implementing Partners (IPs) shall report on environmental compliance requirements as part of their routine project reporting to USAID.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity conducts environmental compliance reviews, as required, for all grant-funded interventions. In this quarter, 5 activities were categorized as “negative determination with conditions”, for which group Environmental Review Checklists (ERCs) and Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plans (EMMPs) were prepared.

Environmental Monitoring: USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity undertook monitoring visits to inspect the implementation of environmental measures, as indicated at the ERC-EMMP for each company/organization. Monitoring is based on environmental impacts, mitigation measures and monitoring indicators, as set out at the EMMPs for each activity. The monitoring visits included:

• Visual observation and photographs related to: physical impacts, air emissions, water use, waste management, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), fire safety measures, ventilation, wastewater collection and discharge, hazardous materials storage.

• Interviews with the owners or managers of companies, related to the progress made on completing: environmental permits, plans for implementing the mitigation measures.

2.6 General and Administrative

2.6.1 Strategic Activities Fund Management

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity launched three Annual Program Statements and received 1,485 applications in total for SAF funding. In response to the first call for applications - Annual



Program Statement #1, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity received 791 applications in total for SAF funding. All 791 concept notes were reviewed, of which 728 were not accepted and 63 were approved. The call for applications was launched in January 2015 and closed in May 31, 2015.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity received an additional of 281 applications in total in response to its second request for applications – Annual Program Statement #2. For this round, Sida partnered with USAID to provide $2M additional funding. The call for applications was launched in June 8, 2016 and closed in December 31, 2016. Of the 281 concept notes that were reviewed, 258 were not accepted and 23 were approved.

The third request for application for SAF funding - Annual Program Statement #3, was launched on June 1, 2017 and closed on December 31, 2017. In response to the third request for applications USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity has received 413 applications seeking $15 million in finance.

In March 2018 USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity launched three RFAs. In response to those RFAs, three grants were approved and signed, coming to a total SAF funding of $364K. In addition to the three Annual Program Statements, an additional of 27 activities including unsolicited applications (8) were approved where for an estimated value of $380K.

The following table provides SAF status as of the end of Project:

SAF Grants Approved by Type Status Number SAF Co-Finance # Jobs Leverage EMP / JOB Final COR Approved 183 $4,714,419 $16,292,505 3,500 4.5 $1,347 Grand Total 183 $4,714,419 $16,292,505 3,500 4.5 $1,347 Production Expansion 78 $2,626,364 $13,031,846 1,830 6.0 $1,435 Connection to Markets 46 $737,420 $1,326,699 552 2.8 $1,336 Workforce Development

27 $1,026,202 $1,559,295 1,056 2.5 $972

Productivity and Quality 18 $118,391 $262,991 62 3.2 $1,910 Business Environment 14 $206,042 $111,673 - 1.5 #DIV/0! Grand Total 183 $4,714,419 $16,292,505 3,500 4.5 $1,347 Of which:

North Kosovo 20 $728,121 $1,324,057 467 2.8 $1,559 Microenterprise 54 $726,099 $1,319,338 774 3.2 $1,617

Of the total 183 SAF awards approved and signed, all 183 or 100% have been completed. Out of 183 SAF Awards 108 are SAF Grants and 83 of the grants were equipment financed by USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity which have been transferred to the grantees.



3. RESULTS VS. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT INDICATORS 3.1 Analysis of Sales and Job Growth by Sector

The following chart highlights the Project’s impact on beneficiaries’ sales, which is the main driver of job creation.

Sales Growth during USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s lifetime

The wood sector was a leading sector in terms of sales growth. Significant results can also be seen in the ICT, energy, and “other” sectors. Total export sales were the highest in the wood, ICT and “other” sectors.

The following table compares attributable sales growth to project investments by sector.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity Investment vs. Sales Impact by Sector

# of Activities EMP Investment (in $1000s) Sales Increase (in $1000s) ROI Sales/EMP$ Apparel 42 $605 $14,005 23.13 Energy 39 $651 $31,075 47.76 ICT 28 $373 $42,779 114.73 Metal 7 $173 $19,063 109.94 Other* 59 $1,543 $23,902 15.49 Tourism 23 $277 $1,251 4.51 Wood 68 $1,526 $82,180 53.85 TOTAL 266 $5,148 $214,254 41.62

The average return on investment (ROI) for USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity investments across various sectors was 41.62, ranging from 4.51 for the tourism sector to 114.73 for the ICT sector.

The table below presents ROI in terms of job creation. In addition to actual new jobs, it also shows the life-of-project (LOP) ratios, since it was on that basis that USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity ranked and selected interventions for support.

Apparel Energy ICT Metal Other Tourism Wood Totals

Totals 14,005 31,075 42,779 19,063 23,902 1,251 82,180 214,254 Organic Domestic 398 1,567 796 1,026 2,129 62 25,278 31,255 Import Substitution 11,025 20,083 341 16,284 4,417 - 30,012 82,162 Exports 2,583 9,425 41,642 1,752 17,356 1,188 26,890 100,837

- 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000

- 50,000

100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000

$000

Totals Exports Import Substitution Organic Domestic

$214 million actual sales growth by companies receiving competitiveness and WfD assistance from EMPOWER



USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity Investment vs. Job Creation Impact by Sector EMP $000 Jobs Actual EMP$/ Jobs Actual Apparel $605 601 1,007 Energy $651 456 1,427 ICT $373 1552 240 Metal $173 106 1,644 Other* $1,543 776 1,989 Tourism $277 109 2,554 Wood $1,526 1510 1,011 TOTAL $5,148 5,109 1,008

By January 14, 2020, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity had invested an across-the-sector average of $1,008 for each job created, which went down from the previous quarters’ average. This means that the number of jobs created has continued to increase relative to USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s original investment.

3.2 Summary of Impact by Support Area

The table below shows the breakdown of impact by support area and some indicators of ROI.

Table 1: USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity Investment vs. Impact, by Support Area

Support Area # Beneficiaries* New Jobs Sales Increase (in $1000s) Cuml Cuml Cuml

Production expansion 119 2,623 $ 142,146 Connection Markets 249 551 $ 28,943 WfD/Skills 167 1,841 $ 41,306 Quality and Productivity 14 94 $ 1,859 Business Environment 64 0 $ - TOTAL 613 5,109 $ 214,254

Production Expansion (PE) interventions accounted for 2,623 new jobs—over half of the total number of jobs attributable to USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity support. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s Connection to Markets (CM) activities accounted for 551 jobs. The project has helped beneficiaries become export-ready and enabled them to present their products at major European



and global trade shows. Actual sales realized due to project-supported participation in 98 CM activities (out of which 85 were trade fairs) amounted to $28.9M in total cumulative sales.1 As seen in Table 5 above, WfD activities also accounted for a substantial share of job creation: a total of 1,841 jobs were created over the last five-and-a-half years. Under Quality and Productivity, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity implemented short-term technical assistance (STTA) in its focus sectors, utilizing key interventions such as lean manufacturing, production management systems, and activity-based costing. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also provided funding to a number of beneficiaries for the attainment of relevant certifications necessary for market access.

3.3 Allocation of Assistance Budget

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity provided its support through technical assistance combined with grants and procurement activities from its Strategic Activities Fund (SAF), complemented by other project budgetary resources for technical assistance, international travel, with total disbursed funding of $5.148 M

Since its inception, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity designed and initiated a total of 266 activities, with most of the funds, or close to 50.88%, committed to Production Expansion interventions. Connection to Markets comprises the second highest part of the committed interventions at a 21.29% share of the funds.

Supported Activities through Year 6 Intervention Category # of Activities Budget Disbursed Share Production Expansion 79 $2,619,370 50.88% Connection to Markets 106 $1,096,295 21.29% Workforce Development 33 $1,049,987 20.39% Productivity and Quality 25 $119,703 2.33% Business Environment 23 $263,006 5.11% Total 266 $5,148,362 100.00%

Distribution of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity Interventions by Sector

1 Detailed list of the fairs and results is in Table 21 of this report.

Apparel , $605 , 12%

Energy , $651 , 13%

ICT , $373 ,

7%

Metal , $173 ,

3%Other* ,

$1,543 , 30%

Toursim , $277 , 5%

Wood , $1,526 ,

30%

Value in $1,000s (total $5.14M)

Apparel, 42

Energy, 39,

ICT, 28

Metal, 7Other*, 59

Tourism, 23

Wood, 68

Number of Activities Approved (Total 266)



3.4 Progress versus Performance Management Indicators

The principal results of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s interventions in terms of SME competitiveness and WfD are provided in Table 1 below, highlighting USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s top-line Performance Management Indicators (PMIs) and organized by focus sector. The table presents the cumulative PMI results of the Project, since its onset through January 14, 2020. 2

Table 2: Key PMIs by Sector # of Jobs Sales Growth $000 WfD Participants Sector Cuml Cuml Cuml Apparel 601 $14,005 478 Energy 456 $31,075 123 ICT 1,552 $42,779 2,625 Metal 106 $19,063 62 Other* 776 $23,902 883 Tourism 109 $1,251 70 Wood 1,510 $82,180 126 TOTAL 5,109 $214,254 4,367

* “Other” includes general activities that involve beneficiaries from more than one USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity sector.

The table below depicts the list of indicators with targets versus actual results through the end of the Activity.

2 Note that the Project only collected key PMI indicators from partner businesses until the end of November 2019 due to the required period for closing out the project and phasing out project staff.



PMIs – Targets vs. Actual – Cumulative

Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 PMI Unit Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Number of enterprise beneficiaries # 150 91* 260 340* 300 433* 350 571* 400 764* Attributed aggregate sales $000 64,981 134,393 97,471 254,176 150,000 442,399 Aggregate sales increase of beneficiaries $000 6,608 1,065 61,824 15,580 28,000 56,029 56,000 106,003 100,000 214,254 Aggregate exports increase $000 3,102 738 16,755 8,208 10,304 25,345 30,837 49,933 50,000 100,837 Business size expansion # 5 4 10 16 15 23 20 28 25 44 New geographic markets entered # 10 26 20 111 30 169 40 242 50 297 New products introduced # 10 16 20 48 30 156 40 257 50 329 Companies investing in new technologies # 26 20 38 40 48 60 55 80 95 Total new jobs** # 250 465 2,800 1,272 2,250 2,473 3,250 3,608 5,000 5,109 Investment leverage ratio 3.0x 5.46x 3.0x 5.8x 3.05x 5.02x 3.0x 5.4x 3.0x 4.88

* Including supplier beneficiaries (SBs): direct suppliers of production inputs to growing PBs. ** The actual total number of jobs is higher when “indirect effects” are accounted for. See Section 3 of the report.



USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity Private Sector made significant advances toward its quantitative and qualitative objectives during Q16. The original targets failed to take into account the fact that impact would be limited during the first year, due to the requirements for initial assessments before activities supporting economic growth could begin. Companies receiving grants also required time to order and install equipment before sales and job growth impact could be achieved. In addition, the original targets were developed with the expectation that USAID would engage a local partner to work alongside USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity, with substantial additional grant funds and personnel, through a separate procurement, as the original RFP for USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity stated.

However, background information and USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s Performance Based Management System (PBMS) reveal a significant impact on indirect beneficiaries: businesses that are not direct participants but, through their linkages with PBs, benefit from increased business growth and WfD. Existing targeted and tracked indicators, including interviews with direct beneficiaries, confirm the positive effects on indirect beneficiaries. As the existing project data underestimates the impact on indirect beneficiaries, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity has started to use economic impact multipliers.

Economic multipliers estimate how a change in one sector will impact output and employment elsewhere in the region or the economy as a whole. Multipliers measure the impact on output and employment for businesses that represent backward of forward linkages from the perspective of the direct beneficiary. These effects occur when increased sales experienced by the beneficiary lead to a boost in sales for the primary supplier or induce additional business activity for forward-linked businesses. These are indirect or secondary effects.

When national and regional multipliers do not exist, it is appropriate to adapt previously constructed input-output tables and to use multipliers developed in other contexts. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity has conducted thorough research to find comparable multipliers specific to the sectors in which its activity is concentrated. When drawing on multipliers from other countries, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity prioritized selecting economies among Kosovo’s regional neighbors that most closely resemble today’s Kosovar economy. In the process, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity avoided sourcing multipliers from highly industrialized and OECD economies because their crowding out and import-dependence factors are expected to be significantly different from those of Kosovo. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity averaged the sourced multipliers to produce a single multiplier estimate for each of the sectors in which USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity identifies direct beneficiaries. USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity can, however, confirm the presence of these significant indirect effects through data tracked by the project and anecdotal evidence from USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity beneficiaries.

To take these factors into account, the project revised timelines and PMI targets in PBMS Revision #6, and USAID approved this revision on December 21, 2016. Following approval from USAID on the introduction of multipliers, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity has incorporated the indicators on sales, sales increases, and employment for beneficiaries (PBs and SBs), and has removed the indicators for overall economic impact on the tourism sector as the multipliers substitute such indicators.

Table at the end of this section list all of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s PMIs from its PBMS. The following are highlights:

Estimates of Kosovo Multipliers Employment Sales Apparel 1.37 1.47 Energy 7.25 1.52 ICT 1.57 1.56 Metal 1.85 1.75 Other 2.73 1.63 Tourism 2.26 1.71 Wood 2.09 1.74



Number of beneficiary entities: The PMI cumulative target for the number of entities through the end of the project is 400. The PBMS defines these companies as “bodies that have participated in or obtained support from any Project Activity.” In terms of companies that received material assistance directly from USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity, the number of these PBs was 613. Counting companies, NGOs, and individuals that domestically produce and supply direct production inputs to companies that received production expansion grants from USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity—SBs, whose sales must grow if those receiving grants grow—adds an estimated 151 unique companies, bringing the total number of enterprise beneficiaries (PBs and SBs) to 764.

Attributed aggregate total sales of PB companies: USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity introduced this new indicator in Q10 to better reflect its impact on PBs. The attributed sales of PBs, beginning in the quarter in which they become USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity beneficiaries, aggregated over all such beneficiaries is $442 million. The PBMS target for five years is $150 million.

Attributed aggregate sales increase of PB companies: $214 million cumulative, versus a cumulative target of $100 million through Year 5. The indicator is defined as “attributed annual increased sales of PBs over their Baseline sales, aggregated over all such beneficiaries. For the purpose of this and other USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity PIRS, a Baseline year is Y for any Activity that was initiated from 1-Sep-Yn through 31-Aug-Yn+1.” This indicator was revised in Q10 to better reflect USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s timelines and the realistic economic potential of beneficiaries identified so far.

Aggregate exports increase of PB companies: $101 million cumulative to date, versus the PBMS target of $50 million through Year 5. This indicator is a subset of aggregate sales increase and was also revised in Q10.

Business size expansion (PBs): The PBMS defines this indicator as “PBs transitioning to a larger size category: micro-to-small (<10 to 10 or more employees), small-to-medium (10–49 to 50 or more), and medium-to-large (50–249 to 250 or more) from the time that the Beneficiary applied for USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity support.” On that basis, the cumulative target through Year 5 is 25. To date, 44 companies have expanded, where 24 companies transitioned from micro to small, 16 companies transitioned from small to medium, and four companies transitioned from medium to large.

New geographic markets entered by PBs: This indicator counts domestic regions or countries to which PBs sell as a result of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity assistance. The cumulative target through Year 5 is 50. Already, PBs have achieved 297 new market entries. New geographic markets for a number of companies included regional neighbors (Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Serbia), Western Europe, countries with large Kosovar diaspora populations (Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, France, and Italy), Africa (Senegal), and the United States.

New products sold by PBs: This indicator counts product types that PBs sell as a result of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity assistance. The cumulative target through Year 5 is 50. PBs have achieved 329 new product entries.

Number of PBs adopting new technologies: The revised PBMS targets new technologies and defines it as “PBs that have adopted new hardware or software technologies. New hardware includes technologies of the type or purpose that the company did not previously possess, and new production lines.” The cumulative target for Year 5 is 60. To date, 95 beneficiaries have adopted new technologies as a result of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity support.

New jobs at PBs: This is USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s most important indicator. Jobs are considered attributable when they are generated by USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity support for production facilities and consequent sales expansion, for trade show attendance producing sales contracts, or for skills training/internships leading to employment. Jobs are (i) full-time; (ii) part-time where two part-time jobs equal one full-time job; (iii) seasonal full-time



equivalent calculated as 1,800 hours/year; and (iv) inferred employment calculated based on PB sales increase at market development activities that have not been reported otherwise.

In Q18, following USAID/Kosovo representatives’ recommendations, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity revised its methodology on calculating seasonal and inferred employment in order to match the methodology used by USAID AGRO in Kosovo. Considering that USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity aggregates all new/net full-time employment at individual companies quarterly, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity will continue with the same calculation for full-time employment. The methodology on calculating full-time equivalent (FTE) from seasonal employment was ‘1,800 hours/year over 3 years’ and from inferred employment was ‘sales / industry ratios / 3years’. However, harmonizing the methodology with USAID AGRO, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity has redefined its methodology to ensure employment sustainability while taking into consideration that a FTE is a new job even when USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity does not have further information on the continuation of the job. For example, for seasonal employment, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity ensures that the 1,800 hours/year criteria is met, and if in one period there are 5 FTEs from seasonal workers and in another there are 7 FTEs, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity reports 5 FTEs in the first round and only 2 more in the second round as the initial 5 is considered to be sustained employment. Nonetheless, if in another period there are 3 FTEs from seasonal workers, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity does not report an increase. At the same time, for inferred employment, USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity calculates employment based on sales for year one, and then reports an increase only when there is an increase.

Investment leverage: The indicator is defined as the total cash cost of an USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity-supported activity divided by the USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity cash investment, excluding USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity staff and operational costs, aggregated across all funded activities. The cumulative Year 3 target was 3.0x, and the project actually achieved 4.88x. The 4.88x is a result of $5.14 million disbursed by USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity to date, plus $17.70 million provided by private companies and $2.26 million provided by collaborating institutions.

USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity also tracked but did not target certain other indicators, as follows:

Number of primary beneficiaries: A subset of PMI #1, this indicator reports only on PBs that have “participated in or obtained direct support from any Project Activity.” To date, 613 of the beneficiary companies were PBs. The indicator counts beneficiaries as unique companies, controlling for duplicates from USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity activities in a former period or in more than one activity.

Number of primary microenterprise beneficiaries: To date, 259 PBs, for which USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity has detailed information, were microenterprises defined as “PBs that had <10 employees at the time they applied for USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity support, which means the submission date of the (first, if more than one) Concept Note.”

Number of start-up PBs: 98 of our PBs were start-ups, no more than one year before the date that they applied for USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity support.

Number of domestic supplier beneficiaries: The revised PBMS includes as a separate tracked, but not targeted, PMI the number of domestic supplier beneficiaries defined as “a domestic company, non-governmental organization, and individual that supplies production inputs to Primary Beneficiaries (PBs), confirmed through interviews with PBs.” Currently, the number of estimated SBs is higher, yet 151 SBs have been confirmed through interviews.

CI Finance: Total collaborating institution (donors and local government) cost-share of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity-supported activity investment is $2.26 million.

Aggregate Private Institutional Finance: Based on interviews with PBs and accepted as part of companies’ cost-share through USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s Grants Department, the



cumulative “increase in aggregate total new loans or investments from financial institutions of PBs from the time they became USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity beneficiaries” was $5.77 million.

Value of Foreign Direct Investment: To date, one USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity PB received $280,000 as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Value of Private Investment: Private co-finance in USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity-supported activities by PBs and other non-institutional investors is $11.65 million. This cost-share is cumulative.

Total Impact – Sales at Beneficiaries (PBs and SBs): Sales of beneficiaries are defined as “Attributed sales of beneficiaries, aggregated over all such beneficiaries, calculated based on sector multipliers and sales of PBs. Multipliers are averages of sector relevant multipliers developed in Kosovo’s regional neighbors that most closely resemble today’s Kosovar economy.” This indicator was introduced in revision #7 to better reflect the overall economic impact of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s activities. (For sector multipliers, see Table 19.) Based on to-date sales of PBs, the total sales impact is $735 million.

Total Impact – Sales Increase at Beneficiaries (PBs and SBs): Sales increase of beneficiaries are defined as “Attributed sales increase of beneficiaries, aggregated over all such beneficiaries, calculated based on sector multipliers and sales increase of PBs. Multipliers are averages of sector relevant multipliers developed in Kosovo’s regional neighbors that most closely resemble today’s Kosovar economy.” This indicator was introduced in revision #7 to better reflect the overall economic impact of USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s activities. (For sector multipliers, see Table 17.) Based on to-date increase of sales of PBs, the total sales increase impact is $355 million.

Total Impact – New Jobs at Beneficiaries (PBs and SBs): Similar to total impact of sales and sales increase, new jobs at beneficiaries are calculated based on multipliers and jobs at PBs. Based on 4,492 new jobs at PBs and sector multipliers outlined above, the total job impact at PBs and SBs is 12,211.

Number of new product quality certifications obtained by PBs: To date, 21 PBs obtained 72 formal certifications for product quality/safety.

Skills certifications: 1,215 individuals received skill certifications after attending USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity-supported activities.

Person-hours of workforce skills training: Individuals attended 500K hours of workforce skills training.

Jobs – Women (PBs): The revised PBMS tracks the aggregate number of new jobs for women created by PBs and attributable to project activities. To date, women filled 1,870 of the new jobs.

Jobs – Youth (PBs): Cumulative actual jobs for youth are 1,532.

Jobs – Minorities (PBs): Cumulative actual jobs for ethnic minorities are 496. Minorities are ethnicities (other than Albanian in south Kosovo), including Serbs from NK.

Jobs – North Kosovo (PBs): USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity’s interventions in business competitiveness and training in this priority region created 491 new jobs.

Women in Management (PBs): USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity encourages its PBs to promote social inclusion in job creation, including creating jobs for women in management. To date, beneficiaries have created 113 new management jobs for women.

Trainees (PBs): To date 4,367 individuals participated in project-supported workforce activities.

1,884 women 1,913 youth (aged 18–24) 169 ethnic minorities 126 in NK

Interns/Apprentices (PBs): 2,922 individuals participated in internships/apprenticeships in project supported WfD activities.

1,263 women 1,511 youth (aged 18–24) 61 ethnic minorities 21 in North Kosovo



PMI Summary PMI Summary—Targeted Indicators

Performance Indicator Unit

Target (Cumulative) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

Increase Reporting Frequency

Data Source

Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual

Number of beneficiary companies

# 150 91 260 340 300 433 350 571 400 764 400 Quarterly, Annual

Activities

Attributed aggregate sales of beneficiaries

$000 64,981 134,393 97,471 254,176 150,000 442,399 150,000 Quarterly, Annual

Activities, Surveys

Attributed aggregate sales increase of beneficiaries

$000 6,608 1,065 61,824 15,580 28,000 56,029 56,000 106,003 100,000 214,254 100,000

Attributed aggregate exports increase of beneficiaries

$000 3,102 738 16,755 8,208 10,304 25,345 30,837 49,933 50,000 100,837 50,000

Business size expansion

# 5 4 10 16 15 23 20 28 25 44 25

Number of new geographic markets entered by beneficiaries

# 10 26 20 111 30 169 40 242 50 297 50

Number of new products sold by beneficiaries

# 10 16 20 48 30 156 40 257 50 329 50

Number of beneficiary companies that have invested new technologies

# 26 20 38 40 48 60 55 80 95 80

Total new jobs # 250 465 2,800 1,272 2,250 2,473 3,250 3,608 5,000 5,109 5,000 Quarterly, Annual

Activities, Surveys



PMI Summary—Targeted Indicators


Target (Cumulative) 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

Increase Reporting Frequency

Data Source

Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual

Investment leverage ratio 3.0x 5.46x 3.0x 5.8x 3.05x 5.02x 3.0x 5.4x 3.0x 4.88 3.0x Quarterly, Annual

Activities, Surveys

1 AIR = Activity Intermediate Result (see PBMS causal model) 2 Jobs in subcategories are not additive - they overlap3 Primary Beneficiaries only4 Total activity funding from all sources divided by USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity SAF investment (cash)

1AIR = Activity Intermediate Result (see PBMS causal model) 2Total activity funding from all sources divided by USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity investment. Note: Monetary values originally in € and converted to $ at 1.12.



Table20: PMI Actuals: Additional Tracked/Non-Targeted Indicators


Cumulative Reporting Frequency Data Source

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Number of Primary Beneficiaries # 91 183 256 426 613 Quarterly, Annual Activities Number of Microenterprise beneficiaries

# 64 111 125 176 259

Number of Start-ups # 11 19 19 98 Number of Domestic Supplier Beneficiaries

# 157 177 145 151

CI Finance $000 1131 1135 1678 2,264 Aggregate Private Institutional Finance $000 3735 3297 5388 5,770 Value of Foreign Direct Investment $000 280 280 280 280 Value of Private Investment $000 3759 7804 9558 11,651 Indirect impact – Sales at SBs # 414,735 734,965 Indirect impact – Sales increase at SBs $000 173,288 354,862 Indirect impact – New jobs at SBs # 8,702 12,211 Number of new product quality certifications obtained by beneficiaries

# 1 7 21 32 72

Number of workers with certified job skills / qualifications

# 35 380 674 757 1,215 Quarterly, Annual Activities

Person-hours of workforce and management skills training

000 115 225 329 343 500

Jobs - Women # 255 630 943 1306 1870 Jobs - Youth # 289 672 1030 1186 1532 Jobs - Minorities # 27 144 212 361 496 Jobs - North Kosovo # 21 116 202 390 491 Women in Management # 28 47 51 113 Trainees # 503 878 1474 2291 4367 Trainees – Women # 328 512 812 1137 1884



Table20: PMI Actuals: Additional Tracked/Non-Targeted Indicators


Cumulative Reporting Frequency Data Source

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Trainees – Youth (18-24) # 354 561 900 1191 1913 Trainees – Minorities # 6 65 93 110 169 Trainees – North Kosovo # 1 54 75 75 126 Interns / Apprentices # 383 559 1004 1800 2922 Interns - Women # 243 329 500 812 1263 Interns - Youth (18-24) # 280 421 706 998 1511 Interns - Minorities # 5 10 38 53 61 Interns - North Kosovo # 1 22 21 21

Jobs, trainees, and interns/apprentices in subcategories are not additive: they overlap; also, interns/apprentices are a sub-category of trainees.



USAID EMPOWER Private Sector activity-Supported Trade Fairs Results # Trade Fair Sector Location Date # PB firms Sales $000 Assistance $000

LoP Actual EMP Co-Fin 1 IF Wedding; TEXPO Apparel Izmir; Istanbul Feb 15 3 2 4 2 ITB 2015 Tourism Berlin Mar 15 5 127 4 31 3 Furniture Tirana 2015 Wood Tirana Mar 15 4 622 446 6 10 4 Destinations Nature 2015 Tourism Paris Mar 15 4 26 8 10 5 Energetika Energy Zagreb Apr 15 1 421 1,400 4 7 6 Textile, Facon and Fashion Apparel Tirana Jun 15 8 538 113 13 46 7 MOW Germany 2015 Wood Hanover Sep 15 2 1,680 1,296 21 36 8 Adventure Travel World Summit Tourism Chile Oct 15 2 2 5 2 9 A+A 2015 Apparel Dusseldorf Oct 15 3 187 250 2 6 10 Investment & Trade Conference ICT Chicago Nov 15 2 3 - 11 World Travel Market Tourism London Nov 15 5 109 18 20 12 SwissBau 2016 Wood Basel Jan 16 3 2,352 1,551 28 52 13 IMM Cologne Furniture Fair 2016 Wood Cologne Jan 16 5 1 5 14 GDS Fair Apparel Dusseldorf Feb 16 2 909 1 5 15 ITB 2016 Tourism Berlin Mar 16 7 343 9 20 16 Furniture Tirana 2016 Wood Tirana Mar 16 6 1,483 524 11 26 17 Destinations Nature 2016 Tourism Paris Mar 16 5 73 3 12 18 Skopje Furniture Fair 2016 Wood Skopje Mar 16 3 519 391 10 25 19 Skopje Fashion Weekend Apparel Skopje Apr 16 2 1 8 20 Wire & Tube Fairs Metal Dusseldorf Apr 16 5 8 1 7 21 Milan Furniture Fairs Wood Milan Apr 16 4 2 4 22 Xylexpo Furniture Fair Wood Milan May 16 0 0 - 23 Green Festival Energy Pristina May 16 15 23 18 24 Bern Workwear Fair Apparel Bern Jun 16 3 54 63 20 26 25 International Foods EPPS Fair Other Tampa, Florida Jul 16 2 11 21




LoP Actual EMP Co-Fin 26 MOW 2016 Wood Hanover Sep 16 5 1,652 1,033 21 28 27 Premier Vision, Paris Apparel Paris Sep 16 4 112 - 1 6 28 Adventure Travel World Summit, Alaska Tourism Anchorage, Alaska Sep 16 4 168 11 11 29 The Digital Show, London ICT London Sep 16 1 202 9 3 2 30 Emilia Romagna, Motorfest Other Emilia Romagna Sep 16 1 95 34 1 1 31 Kosovo Wood Industry Convention 2016 Wood Pristina Oct 16 17 20 4 32 STIKK B2Bs, Germany ICT Cologne; Frankfurt;

Darmstadt Nov 16 7 4 17

33 Performance Days Apparel Munich Nov 16 4 4 6 34 BAU Energy Munich Jan 17 6 112 1 7 35 IMM Cologne Furniture Fair 2017 Wood Cologne Jan 17 4 4,200 1,096 55 99 36 Gulfood Fair Other Dubai Mar 17 2 1 4 37 JEC World 2017 Other Paris Mar 17 1 336 482 5 7 38 ITB 2017 Tourism Berlin Mar 17 8 560 300 7 29 39 Destinations Nature 2017 Tourism Paris Mar 17 4 143 12 4 7 40 Furniture Tirana 2017 Wood Tirana Mar 17 2 336 - 2 9 41 Skopje Furniture Fair 2017 Wood Skopje Mar 17 2 336 105 7 8 42 B2B Macedonia Workfair Apparel Tetovo Apr 17 4 17 120 0 1 43 Ligna Fair - Technology and Forestry Wood Hanover May 17 12 5 8 44 Green Festival 2 Energy Pristina Sep 17 22 824 69 18 45 A+A 2017 Apparel Dusseldorf Oct 17 3 125 1,924 17 25 46 STIKK B2Bs, Germany ICT Munich; Nuremberg Oct 17 11 224 5 33 47 ECRM Other Miami, Florida Nov 17 1 336 184 12 11 48 Kosovo Apparel Industry Convention 2017 Apparel Pristina Nov 17 22 62 112 49 Tirana International Fair Energy Tirana Nov 17 4 168 10 3 3




LoP Actual EMP Co-Fin 50 Diaspora Economic Forum General Pristina Nov 17 133 336 527 29 24 51 Belgrade Furniture Fair Wood Belgrade Nov 17 11 34 52 Kosovo Wood Industry Convention 2017 Wood Pristina Dec 17 21 2 1 53 IMM Cologne Furniture Fair 2018 Wood Cologne Jan 18 3 1,120 1,784 40 144 54 SwissBau 2018 Wood Basel Jan 18 7 3,640 5,322 31 67 55 ITB 2018 Tourism Berlin Mar 18 5 - 32 717 56 Destinations Nature 2018 Tourism Paris Mar 18 1 - 28 371 57 Light + Building Energy Frankfurt Mar 18 1 112 125 - - 58 Ibatech Fair Other Istanbul Apr 18 1 22 81 59 Adriatic Fair Energy Budva Apr 18 1 56 59 1 1 60 EuroCucina Wood Milan Apr 18 11 17 11 61 Automechanika Fair Energy Frankfurt Sep 18 1 112 29 34 8 62 Green Festival 3 Energy Pristina Sep 18 30 70 40 42 63 Western Balkans Business Forum ICT Talinn, Estonia Oct 18 2 2 1 64 Kosovo Apparel Industry Convention 2018 Apparel Pristina Nov 18 22 18 - 65 STIKK Match-Making B2B ICT Nuremberg Nov 18 10 4 36 66 Kosovo Wood Industry Convention 2018 Wood Pristina Dec 18 22 23 8 67 IMM Cologne Furniture Fair 2019 Wood Cologne Jan 19 4 1,792 193 11 215 68 ISM Fair Other Cologne Jan 19 3 1 2 69 BIOFACH Fair 2019 Other Nuremberg Feb 19 1 2 3 70 BIOFACH Fair 2018 Other Nuremberg Feb 18 1 391 1 71 Intersolar Fair Energy Munich May 19 6 585 1 6 72 Vienna Fair General Vienna Apr 19 8 - 9 73 Mission to Belgium Wood Brussels May 19 5 - 3 5 74 NY Conference ICT New York May 19 8 57 10 94




LoP Actual EMP Co-Fin 75 Economic Conference of Albanian Diaspora Other Prishtina May 19 49 336 96 37 42 76 Visiting Factories and B2B Apparel Turkey May 19 5 112 - 9 - 77 Doku Fest Diaspora Other Prizren Aug 19 0 - - 14 - 78 M.O.W. Wood Germany 4 1,120 - 11 32 79 Wood Industry Convention 4th edition Wood Prishtina Oct 19 20 - - 21 11 80 Apparel Industry Convention 3rd Edition Apparel Prishtina Oct 19 15 - - 30 - 81 Green Festival 4 Energy Prishtina Oct 19 41 - - 19 49 82 AWPK Brussels Fair Wood Brussels Nov 19 5 - - 2 4 83 KAMA A+A Fair Apparel Dusseldorf Nov 19 1 - - 1 2 84 Diaspora and Foreign Business Convention General Prishtina Nov 19 82 - - 34 11 85 AWPK Paris Fair Wood Paris Dec 19 8 - - 7 0 TOTAL

800 25,053 22,039 1,341 2,744

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