EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science

Set up with EU support, the EU TUMO Convergence Centre for Engineering and Applied Science is a mixed-use campus that brings higher education and industry together, linking students, researchers, and professionals to each other and with their global peers while fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. The centre includes teaching and training facilities, such as TUMO Labs and 42 Yerevan programming school.

TUMO has hubs in Yerevan, Dilijan, Gyumri and Stepanakert, with 5 TUMO boxes offering the TUMO curriculum in Gavar, Berd, Vayk, Sevan, Kapan and Martakert. Click here for full details of a TUMO Centre near you.

EU4Business

If you are setting up or have a small business, the EU4Business initiative offers a wide range of loans and grants depending on the type and size of your business, as well as advice and consultancy services to help you take the next step in developing your business. Visit the EU4Business page for full details of partner banks and projects that you can apply to, as well as examples of successful beneficiaries.

Mayors for Economic Growth

The Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) programme supports local authorities in developing economic growth and job creation. It is currently funding three pilot projects in the municipalities of Kapan, Dilijan and Ijevan:

Kapan: a TUMO Centre for Creative Technologies offers free educational programmes specialising in digital and creative technology for children aged 12-18  while TUMO Labs will provide free adult educational services in self-learning and business incubation

Dilijan: an abandoned Soviet-era sewing factory is being transformed into a modern cluster co-working space for enterprises and individuals in partnership with Dilijan Municipality, IDeA foundation, Tourism and Urbanism Foundation and Dilijan Community Center. The new Dilijan factory space will support entrepreneurs in developing their business ideas, small enterprises seeking support with business administration, and the local population, in particular the unemployed, with development and orientation programmes.

Ijevan: the ‘InnoIjevan’ platform has been set up hosting new Armath Engineering Laboratories, a ‘Real School’ offering professional opportunities through trainings, work-based learning, and the development of hard and soft skills, and a co-working space for businesses and individuals in partnership with the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises-UATE and COWO.

Under a previous phase of the M4EG programme, Sevan was selected to run a pioneer project, which included setting up the Sevan Business Centre, which provides ready-to-go solutions and support to entrepreneurs, especially at the critical early stages to help them build strong, sustainable businesses, with support to develop detailed business plans, as well as different educational and networking events.

Impact Fund Yerevan

Impact Hub Yerevan supports social impact projects and enterprises, providing entrepreneurs and innovators with networking opportunities, resources, educational programmes and events. Since opening its doors in 2016, the Impact Hub, which is supported by the EU, has designed and implemented more than 20 programmes, hosted over 400 educational workshops and events, and now hosts over 220 members with over 100 projects/organisations representing every sector in Armenia. Check out the available programmes here.

In 2022, the Impact Hub Syunik was established to provide support for entrepreneurial opportunities in Syunik, by re-skilling vulnerable and displaced people, and addressing their needs.

The latest addition to the Impact Hub family is the Impact Hub Gyumri. Find out more here.

You can follow the Impact Hub Facebook page for latest news and opportunities across the country.

Young artists and culture professionals

Young artists and culture professionals

Young Armenian artists and cultural professionals can apply for grants to go abroad, in the EU and beyond, as well as to take part in artistic residencies, under the Creative Europe programme’s Culture Moves Europe scheme. The programme targets artists and cultural professionals working in architecture, cultural heritage, design, fashion design, literary translation, music, visual arts and performing arts, and there are rolling calls open every year from autumn to spring, with monthly evaluations. The grants include standard travel costs and per diem to contribute to expenses. Visit the programme page to find out more.

The EU-funded EU4Culture project also offers mobility grants to support artists and cultural professionals from Armenia and other countries of the Eastern Partnership. Follow the EU4Culture website for upcoming opportunities.

EU4Youth

The EU4Youth programme is launching a series of projects aimed at developing digital skills among young people, especially in disadvantaged communities, and for the development of social entrepreneurship and career management skills, linked to the promotion of youth entrepreneurship in the green and digital economies.

New projects active in Armenia include a project on Fostering Youth Social Entrepreneurship and Practical Career Management Skills, another on Strengthening cross-sectorial cooperation for youth entrepreneurship education in the South Caucasus, and the SKYE Net Skills and Knowledge for Youth Empowerment Network, which aims to establish 10 SKYE youth empowerment clubs in Armenia and to develop entrepreneurship skills. In the area of digital skills, a new project on Upskilling digital competences and career management skills of disadvantaged youth in Georgia, Armenia and Moldova aims to help disadvantaged youth.

Under the previous wave of EU4Youth projects, almost 300 skills development activities were carried out in Armenia in 2021 alone, young people received work experience through apprenticeships and internships, others received grants to implement business ideas, while three rural innovation knowledge hubs were set up in Shirak, Lori and Tavush regions, which still provide internet access, training and skills development for young people. Follow the EU4Youth page for upcoming opportunities.