BIZimpact project aimed to improve the business climate in Croatia by developing instruments for impact assessment of the laws and regulations and to improve information to Croatian business community.

The Project covered legislative changes in eight key areas:

• State aid
• Public procurement
• Standards for agricultural products
• Standards for industrial products
• Competition policy
• Intellectual property rights
• Environmental protection
• Consumer protection

Project implementation lasted two years, from June 2007 until January 2009. Total budget of the project was EUR 1.3 million that was financed by CARDS 2004 programme.

The main partners were: Small Business Directorate within the Ministry of Economy, Labour & Entrepreneurship (MINGORP), Croatian Agency for SMEs (HAMAG), Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK), Croatian Chamber of Trades & Crafts (HOK) and Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP).

The Project had four main activities:

1.    Training in eight legislative fields
This activity aimed to strengthen the capacity of partner institutions, to enable them to play a more pro-active role in identifying the economic impact of legislative/regulatory changes on business, so that information flows can be improved and business needs taken into account.
A series of training seminars in the eight fields covered by the BIZimpact Project were held in February and March 2008.

2.    Development and training the trainers in impact assessment
Specific activities included:

• Preparation of Manual/Guide on Impact Assessment
• "Training the Trainers” in impact assessment, who will then teach others in partner institutions
• Visits to EU countries to study their impact assessment methodologies
• Carrying out impact assessments for business sectors most effected by the legislative fields

3.    Business Information Needs Survey
Business Information Needs Survey (BINS) had been carried out early in the Project to identify the needs for information about legislative changes and their impact on different types of businesses. A follow-up survey was conducted near the end of the Project to measure success in meeting those information needs.

4.    Improving information to the business community
BIZimpact project undertook a range of activities to improve the flow of information to businesses, to meet their information needs identified in the survey and to improve public-private dialogue with the business community.

Specific activities included:

• Organising an awareness-raising campaign
• Organising a series of visibility events and information days throughout Croatia to inform the business community and the media and to stimulate dialogue
• Producing publications, CDs, a website etc to inform the business community, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions, guides to each of the 8 legislative areas and proposals for improvements to information services
• Training in PR/communications skills at national and regional level

More information can be obtained at the Project's official web site: www.bizimpact.hr