The SME Policy Index is a benchmarking tool designed for emerging economies to assess SME policy frameworks and monitor progress in policy implementation over time.

The Index has been developed by the OECD in partnership with the European Commission (EC), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the European Training Foundation (ETF) in 2006 for the Western Balkans. The South East European Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (SEECEL) joined as an additional partner in 2014. The SME Policy Index has since 2006 been applied in four regions and nine assessment rounds overall. 

The SME Policy Index: Western Balkans and Turkey 2016 presents the results of the fourth assessment of the Small Business Act for Europe in the Western Balkans and, since 2012, Turkey. The assessment framework is structured around the ten principles of the Small Business Act for Europe (SBA). It provides a wide-range of pro-enterprise measures to guide the design and implementation of SME policies based on good practices promoted by the EU and the OECD. The Index identifies strengths and weaknesses in policy design, implementation and monitoring. 

It allows for comparison across countries and measures convergence towards good practices and relevant policy standards. It aims to support governments in setting targets for SME policy development and to identify strategic priorities to further improve the business environment. It also helps to engage governments in policy dialogue and exchange good practices within the region and with OECD and EU members.

The SME Policy Index covers ten policy dimensions of the SBA: 

• Rewarding entrepreneurship and thriving family business; 
• “Second chance” Bankruptcy rules; 
• “Think Small First” principle; 
• Responsive public administration; 
• Adapted Public procurement and State Aid; 
• Timely payments in commercial transactions/Access to Finance; 
• Benefiting from a Single Market; 
• Skills upgrading and innovation; 
• Environment and SMEs and SMEs and access to markets.

IDN is responsible to compile evaluation of the implementation of the Policy and the elaboration of the Small Business Act (SBA) Report for Serbia.

IDN is responsible to map, assess and evaluate the capacity of local actors in Kragujevac region in the following thematic areas: employment and skills development; social inclusion, entrepreneurship and enterprise creation and growth; and social inclusion; as well as in the overarching area of strategy and policy design and delivery.

The project involves the following activities:

• A mapping of relevant local stakeholders; 
• Conduction of semi-structured interviews with selected representatives of each actor/actors group; 
• Analysis of the interviews and other relevant information and completion of the indicator grid; 
• Preparation of an evaluation report on local capacity.