According to the Ministry of Economics and Communications Mr. Juhan Parts encouragement of entrepreneurship is the central issue in combating unemployment. “All business programmes offered by the state are open to the market. I would like to emphasize, that we are also continuing with the technology investments programme. Its next level will be launched in the beginning of the year," added Mr. Parts.

 

Most of the grants are funded by the European Union. In comparison with the previous years, the volume of activities has greatly increased. The additional economic aid support package programmes play an important role here.

 

Appropriations in support of investments grew the most; result-based subordinated loan and credit line to the banks have been added as new measures. At the same time programmes launched during the past years will also continue.

 

The activities, supporting the internationalization of entrepreneurship, play just as important role as they did before. The internationalization activity plan “Made in Estonia“ has already been adopted and it reflects particular activities in greater detail.

 

One trend of the business policy deals with the development of knowledge base and skills of the entrepreneurs. 2010. In 2010 different training programmes will continue, as well as the support measures that have already been launched by now.

 

The fourth trend of the business policy is development of legal environment, the goal of which is to make the legal environment necessary for the functioning of companies more entrepreneur-friendly. Important initiatives are the continuing codification process and the new procedure of presenting the annual report for the financial year.

 

The areas of activity of business policy will be financed in 2010 in the following ways: development of knowledge base and skills 187 million kroons; supporting investments of the companies and improving access to capital 2.1 billion kroons; supporting the internationalization of companies 108 million kroons and developing of legal environment 2.4 million kroons.

 

The application plan was compiled by the Ministry of Economics and Communications and the activities will be mainly carried out by EAS (Estonian Agency of Enterprise) and KredEx. The total volume of the application plan is over 2.4 billion kroons.

 

2010. The application plan of 2010 is part of the development plan of the Estonian business policy for the years 2007–2013. The application plan specifies the planned activities, executioners and financing of the goals set in the development plan.