MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY VARANK: BAGGERS WILL DISAPPEAR

Guides are coming to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) prepare and execute projects. Accredited SME guides will land with the new system to be implemented. The Regulation on SME Guidance and Technical Consultancy Services prepared within this scope was published in the Official Gazette and entered into force. Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank, who evaluated the regulation, said, "With this regulation, the intermediaries expressed as bag dealers in the market will disappear. Those who abuse their duties and authority will not be allowed. SME guides and technical consultants who are trained in this business, have field experience and are competent in their field will provide guidance to SMEs within the scope of KOSGEB Supports. With the introduction of the system, 200 SME guides and 2,400 Technical Advisors will start working in the field in the first place." HEALTHY COMMUNICATION A new system was created to establish a healthier communication between the Small and Medium Enterprises Development and Support Administration (KOSGEB) and SMEs. Minister of Industry and Technology Varank made statements regarding the Regulation on SME Guidance and Technical Consultancy Services. Pointing out the importance of directing SMEs in a designated area, Minister Varank said, "We care about SMEs receiving guidance and consultancy services in a healthy way. We bring the SME Guidance and Consultancy System with the published regulation. With this system, SMEs will receive guidance and consultancy services in a designated and framed area." QUALITY WILL INCREASE Varank, pointing out that with this system, SMEs will benefit more effectively from KOSGEB support programs, "The problems experienced by SMEs due to intermediaries in project preparation and execution stages will be eliminated. SME guides and technical consultants who are trained in this business will provide guidance to SMEs. Thus, the skills and capabilities of SMEs will be improved. Standard will be provided in consultancy services and quality will increase." ACCREDITATION TASK Underlining that thanks to this regulation, KOSGEB will authorize SME guides and technical consultants, in other words, it will undertake accreditation duties in a sense, Varank said, "We expect 4 thousand SMEs to benefit from guidance and technical consultancy services within 3 years." WHAT'S IN THE REGULATION? According to the regulation, which includes the qualifications of SME guides and technical consultants, the services they will provide, authorization, classification, monitoring, evaluation and supervision, the following conditions will be required for those who want to become an SME guide: *To have a Professional Qualification Certificate within the scope of the SME Consultant (Level 6) National Occupational Standard enacted by the Vocational Qualifications Authority, * To complete at least 240 hours of consultancy training, have experience or have served as a senior manager (general manager, deputy general manager and their peers and superiors) for at least 3 years in the last 10 years in large-scale enterprises. SENIOR SME GUIDE AFTER 3 YEARS Those who meet these requirements will be able to become SME guides. The SME guide can be authorized as a senior SME guide 3 years after the authorization date according to the services it provides and the monitoring and audit results to be carried out by KOSGEB. SME guides will provide services such as analyzing the current situation of enterprises, identifying their problems and needs, advising and guiding businesses, and guiding businesses in project preparation and execution processes. TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS According to the regulation, 6 criteria were determined for technical consultant candidates. Those who carry at least one of these conditions will be technical advisors. The requirements are as follows: * To have served or have served as a professor or associate professor in higher education institutions, * To have a doctoral degree and at least 120 hours of consulting experience, * To have a master's degree and at least 240 hours of consulting experience, * To be a middle manager (unit manager, business manager and their peers) or senior manager (general manager, deputy general manager and their peers and superiors) in the last 10 years and at least a bachelor's degree, * To be the owner, partner or employee of the enterprises providing consultancy services for at least 5 years in the last 10 years, to have at least 240 hours of consultancy experience and to have at least a bachelor's degree, * To be granted an Individual Participation Investor License within the scope of the Regulation on Individual Participation Capital published in the Official Gazette dated 15/2/2013 and numbered 28560 possess and be an experienced investor as defined in the same Regulation. Technical consultants will provide consultancy services to businesses on the issues determined and authorized by KOSGEB in the fields of financing, internationalization, technology/innovation/digitalization and growth.