Kick-off Meeting of the European Project WOMEX Held

Kick-off Meeting of the European Project WOMEX Held

29.04.2025

The Association of Business Women in Serbia participated in the official online Kick-off meeting of the European project WOMEX – The Role of Women in the Competitiveness of Exporting SMEs, held on 29 April 2025 as part of the project’s initial implementation phase. The meeting gathered all consortium members from six European countries and marked the first step toward the joint implementation of this four-year initiative, running from May 2025 to July 2029.

The meeting opened with participant introductions and a presentation of the main objectives of the WOMEX project. Particular attention was given to the importance of supporting women entrepreneurs aiming to internationalize their businesses, as well as to strengthening the competitiveness of women-owned exporting SMEs across European regions.

The agenda continued with an overview of organizational topics and the project management structure. Partners discussed project teams, the activity timeline illustrated through the Gantt chart, and matters related to visual documentation (photography) and the development of the official project website. Special attention was devoted to project finance management, ensuring alignment of procedures and partner responsibilities with Interreg Europe programme requirements.

The central part of the meeting focused on the methodological framework for conducting the study on the role of women in the competitiveness of exporting SMEs. Partners reviewed key methodological elements, including the preparation of regional research activities and the upcoming joint analyses that will result in a catalogue of best practices and tailored support tools for women entrepreneurs.

Partners also agreed on the schedule for monthly PMT and CMT meetings and confirmed the date of the first IPLE event. The meeting concluded with an open discussion, during which participants exchanged questions, technical comments, and suggestions to ensure smooth implementation of project activities in the months ahead.


About the WOMEX Project

WOMEX is a European project co-financed by the Interreg Europe programme, supported by the European Union, aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of women-owned SMEs and improving their participation in international trade. The project seeks to identify existing barriers, develop new support tools, promote gender equality in public policies, and strengthen business ecosystems through best practices, training, digital services, and improved access to finance.

The project consortium consists of nine partners from six countries:
Association of Business Women in Serbia, Regional Agency for Development and European Integration Belgrade (Serbia), Catalan Agency for Business Competitiveness (Spain), Marshal’s Office of the Mazovian Voivodeship in Warsaw (Poland), Basque Trade & Investment (Spain), Mazovia Development Agency (Poland), Innovation Agency (Lithuania), Austria Wirtschaftsservice (Austria), and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Pécs-Baranya – CCIPB (Hungary).

More information about the WOMEX project and the Interreg Europe programme is available HERE.