About CORE Partnership

BFC SEE Network towards CORE Partnership

The Regional Network for Business Friendly Environment in South East Europe, is a unique platform for improving the competitiveness in SEE region through knowledge transfer, best practice exchange and designing and implementing reforms in public administration. The Network was established in 2012, by National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED), Chamber of Commerce of Republic of Srpska, Regional Development Agency for Hercegovina (REDAH), Faculty of Economy, University of Rijeka, Union of Local Self-Government Units of the Republic of North Macedonia (ZELS). In 2016 the Network has opened its doors for new partners - and the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro was the first to join. In 2022. the Institute for Development Research (Riinvest) and Association for Local Autonomy Albania (ALAA) joined, and the agreement on network restructuring, renaming and expanding was signed, establishing the Partnership for Competitive Region (CORE Partnership).

More than 1.9 million EUR has been invested so far to develop the regional platform, network structures and capacities, as well as joint programs. The CORE Partnership and its members have sparked two major regional initiatives – Business Friendly Certification of Municipalities in SEE, Electronic permitting, sessional workers and implemented projects with the support of GIZ, EBRD, SDC, USAID, SIDA and World Bank.

NALED is the Regional Technical Secretariat of the BFC SEE Network, while the founding members are:

 Association of Local Self-Governments – ZELS

 Association for Local Autonomy – ALAA

 Faculty of Economics in Rijeka

 Federal Ministry of Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts

 Institute for Development Research - Riinvest

 Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Government of Republika Srpska

 Ministry of Finance of Montenegro – Sector for Financial System and Improvement of Business Environment

  National Alliance for Local Economic Development – NALED 

In addition to BFC SEE and E-permits as successful initiatives sparked by the Network, members of the CORE Partnership are aiming to expand, institutionalize and strengthen the partnership in the area of business friendly environment by stimulating exchange in the following areas: 

  Grey economy and illicit trade

  Vouchers for seasonal labor

  Public private partnerships

  Cadaster reform (digitalization)

  Para-fiscal charges

  Doing business and country competitiveness

  Ag payment agency and IPARD

  Investment promotion and attraction