On September 23rd 2024, our team hosted the closing event of the FAIRNESS – Financial Skills for Business Start-ups and SMEs project in Nicosia, bringing together partners and stakeholders to reflect on the project’s achievements and present its final results.
The event marked the conclusion of a two-year European collaboration dedicated to strengthening the financial, digital and business-management capabilities of SMEs, entrepreneurs and family-run businesses.
We were pleased to welcome Andreas Socratous, Strategy and Transactions Partner at EY, who shared insights from the development of the Cyprus National Development Organisation, an initiative supported by the European Commission. His presentation explored the local financing ecosystem, existing market failures and financing gaps, and the proposed investment strategy for addressing them, issues closely connected to the challenges that FAIRNESS was designed to address.
Practical resources for SMEs and family businesses
During the event, we presented the project’s main results:
FAIRNESS Online Learning Platform – A freely accessible digital learning environment bringing together the project’s training resources and practical guidance for SMEs, entrepreneurs and family-run businesses.
Interactive Mind Map Tool – A user-friendly tool that helps learners identify their specific training needs and navigate directly to the most relevant learning modules.
Training Modules – A complete suite of learning materials covering essential areas such as financial management, access to finance, digital transformation and sustainable business practices.
Through these resources, FAIRNESS has supported business owners and managers in strengthening their skills, understanding their financing needs and making more informed decisions about the development and sustainability of their organisations.
The project successfully achieved its objectives by creating accessible learning opportunities, promoting sustainable business practices and strengthening cooperation among organisations working in adult education, entrepreneurship, finance and SME support.
We extend our appreciation to our coordinator, the Malta Stock Exchange Institute, and to our consortium partners Exeo Lab Srl, Meta4 Innovations, South-West University “Neofit Rilski” and European Projects and Training OOD.
Although the funded project has concluded, its learning resources, partnerships and impact will continue. We look forward to seeing the FAIRNESS results being used by SMEs, family businesses, entrepreneurs and training organisations across Europe.
Project number: 2022-1-MT01-KA220-ADU-000086969
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
