The EBRD-funded Business Support Office (BSO) in Armenia has launched an innovative initiative to help local enterprises cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy. In cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and the Investment Support Centre, the bank is providing free access to 23 free webinars for local businesses on various priority topics to deal with the crisis.

The webinars are being led by renowned business consultants and advisers offering advice on topics such as cash-flow management, business strategy, force majeure and contractual obligations, how to use government loans and grants, bankruptcy risks, digitization, planning after crisis in times of crisis and many more.

Two seminars per day, scheduled in between the 1st and the 17th of April, addressed immediate issues that small and medium sized-enterprises in Armenia face during the current crisis. Up to 200 companies tuned in to listen to the advice from experts at each session.

The full playlist of webinars is available on YouTube for those businesses that were unable to access the live broadcast, including follow-up presentations and practical tools for businesses to use.

The webinars have been designed to address pressing needs of the Armenian business community. In response to the crisis, the Business Support Office and the Investment Support Office shared a questionnaire with businesses. 1,300 companies responded and this feedback is directly reflected in the programme which covers 23 subjects.

In parallel, the BSO invited consultancy companies and consultants to provide pro bono consultancy or webinars to businesses. 50 consultants already registered to offer their services.

Following this initiative, BSO, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and the Investment Support Centre, is planning to launch the second phase, which includes individual consultancy sessions made available as Eventbrite tickets.

More than 500 tickets will be made available to interested companies in the next few weeks.

The BSO, established in 2007 with the funding from the EBRD, leads a platform of public and private dialogue under the patronage of the Government of Armenia and the Ministry of Economy of Armenia.