In Serbia, as in other parts of the world, small and medium-sized enterprises show comparative advantage due to flexibility, i.e., rapid adaptation to changes in the environment, the entrepreneurship and the innovativeness. On the other hand, this group of enterprises has a problem with providing specific resources underlying the innovations, but also the problem of solvency, i.e., to fund innovative activities. Which is typical for the economies with limited capital and restrictive investment policies, such as Serbia. Taking into account all this, the Enterprise Europe Network could play a crucial role in bridging the gaps of knowledge, resources and skills that could be essential for increasing the innovation capacity of SMEs, especially in experience and knowledge sharing, training and consultation EEN could provide assistance to managers and entrepreneurs in all phases of the development of new products and services, from concept to commercialization. The overall objective of EEN Client Inno Journey is to increase Summary Innovation Index of Serbia providing services that will help to foster innovation and drive a fast growth of Serbian economy. The EEN Client Inno Journey project aims to deliver 50 (fifty) 7-day package services with the following distribution among the two groups of targeted SMEs: • 8 packages dedicated for Key Account Management for the beneficiaries of the SME beneficiaries of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Pilot under H2020 in 2020 or potential successor programme to the European Innovation Council in 2021, and • 42 package services delivered for enhancing the innovation management capacities of the SMEs with significant innovation activities. Partners will follow a client-centric approach, focusing on supporting the client's needs throughout the client journey and paying attention to the client experience.

EEN Serbia project is successor to EIIRCS and in its course, Consortium partners would continue to provide the highest quality business support services to Serbian SMEs. EEN Serbia is strategically recognized by the Government of Republic Serbia, as an integrated service for development of SMEs sector. The main objective of EEN Serbia is to continue improving competitiveness of Serbian SMEs trough implementation of integrated services focused on innovative capacities, productivity, internationalization as well as to assure information flow about EU market, measures and programs, available EU and national RTD support programs. EEN Serbia Consortium is consisted of 6 relevant, motivated and experienced host organizations with a clear mandate to support competitiveness of SMEs, regional and socioeconomic development, internationalization and export promotion as well as R&D and innovation. Consortium partners cover the whole territory of Serbia, and create the most comprehensive system for providing support services to SMEs, with widest and strongest knowledge, expertise and information base.

According to official data, 99.9% of the enterprises in Serbia are SMEs. SMEs in Serbia contribute a share of roughly 60% of employment and less than 50% of value added, compared with the respective EU averages of 67% and 57%. Micro-firms make a particularly small contribution, providing only 10% of value added, 11 percentage points lower than in the EU . Regarding the movement of the total innovation index (SII-Summary Innovation Index), it can be concluded that the innovative performance of the Republic of Serbia indicates a certain increase, since SII for the Republic of Serbia in 2016 was 64,2 compared to 46,8 in 2010. Also, the innovative performance in Serbia is still below the average of EU-28 (102 for the same year). However, regarding SII index for the period of 2010–2016 in the neighbouring countries, it can be concluded that the situation in Serbia is more favourable compared to Bulgaria, Macedonia (FYROM), Romania and Croatia, but less favourable compared to Slovenia or Hungary . Taking into account all this, the Enterprise Europe Network could play a crucial role in bridging the gaps of knowledge, resources and skills that could be essential for increasing the innovation capacity of SMEs, especially in experience and knowledge sharing, training and consultation EEN could provide assistance to managers and entrepreneurs in all phases of the development of new products and services, from concept to commercialization. The overall objective of EEN InnoS Journey is to increase Summary Innovation Index of Serbia providing services that will help to foster innovation and drive a fast growth of Serbian economy.

It is expected that at least 30 SMEs with high innovation potential and SME Instrument beneficiaries will be included in the project. The action of this Project Proposal aims at stimulating innovation in SMEs by capacity building and has the main objective to Identify the capacity to receive the innovation support service in at least 26 innovating SMEs and 4 beneficiaries of the SME instrument. Implementing partners in consortia are : Institute “Mihajlo Puipin” who is managing this project, Innovation Center of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Business Incubator Novi Sad. Coordinator is Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Each of three implementing partners will work with 10 SMEs in the course of two years project period. Since ICMF and BINS are involved in both services, the division of the companies per service will be as following: 8 companies will be provided with the EIMC while 2 will receive KAM service, each. IMP is providing only EIMC and it will served 10 companies. Innovation management assessment tools will be different for two package services. As to assessment of the innovation capacity of the beneficiaries of SME instrument, different methodology should be applied. It will be existing methodology designed to assess the company’s strengths and growth barriers as well as any innovation bottlenecks. The tool shall specifically address step 1 and step 2 of the Key Account Management process like (but not limited to) SME Power. For the companies with significant innovation activities to whom EIMC service will be delivered, IMP³rove tool will be applied. Alternatively, other assessment tools which are in accordance with the CEN/TS 16555-1 standard and better match to the concrete SME capacity and innovation performance will be also applied. Therefore, the final selection of the appropriate assessment tool will be made case by case.