9th Purchasing Initiative Western Balkans

Product Goups / Services

The focus is on metal construction, cast and forged parts, stamped and bent parts, injection molding, plastic and electronic components, welded assemblies, assembly, production material and drawing parts as well as IT or engineering.

After the success of previous editions, BME will once again organize the 9^th Purchasing Initiative Western Balkans on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK). Together with the local Chambers of Commerce Abroad, BME is searching for suitable suppliers who meet needs and requirements of German buyers in 8 countries.
Participating countries in the 9th purchasing initiative are: Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania.

B2B meetings will be held face-two-face on the 12^th of October in Germany at the IHK Cologne. "The Purchasing Initiative Western Balkans is one of the largest event series of its kind, with over 3,500 B2B meetings held. Since 2015, AHKs together with BME have been effectively bringing German companies and suppliers together at the initiative," emphasizes Olaf Holzgrefe, Head of International at BME. Purchasing initiatives have now established themselves as best practice events at BME.

After two years in the virtual world, the 2022 initiative was in live mode again. With around 300 participants, approximately 30 German companies and about 100 suppliers from 7 countries, Stuttgart was once again a great success. In 2023, the B2B Congress will be held in Cologne for the first time. In addition to Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Industry as host, Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Frankfurt, Dortmund, Munich, and Stuttgart also actively support the event.

Participation is supported by BMWK and gives a comprehensive overview of the local potential, especially for SMEs. 

First steps to participate in this event 

➀ Register first as a buyer or a supplier for BME Matchmaking Service free of charge.
➁ Fill out and send the questionnaire to BME. Mark the events you are interested in.
➂ BME will inform you, when you can access the profiles and register for the events.

Prices for suppliers

• Registration for BME Matchmaking service: free of charge
• B2B Booking Costs: free of charge
• The AHK partners in the respective countries are available to answer any queries from suppliers:
  AHK Serbia + AHK Croatia + AHK Slovenia and the delegations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania & Montenegro

Prices for buyers

• Registration for BME Matchmaking service and supplier search: free of charge
  Note: Participation only for companies with headquarters or a production site located in Germany.       
• The B2B-Meeting Booking Costs: In accordance with the funding guidelines of the Federal Ministry, a contribution must be paid for participation in the B2B Matchmaking (DeMinimis regulation). The amount depends on the size of the company:
  
  250 euros (net) for participants with less than 2 million euros annual turnover and fewer than 10 employees
  375 euros (net) for participants with less than 50 million euros annual turnover and fewer than 500 employees
  500 euros (net) for participants with an annual turnover of more than 50 million euros or more than 500 employees
  
  Note: After participation confirmation you receive a “De-minimis-Beihilfen” declaration (PDF) to fill out and send back to [email protected]. Should the funding limit be exhausted, a separate participation fee will be charged.

The focus is on the following sectors and industries: metals / metal products, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering / electronics, chemicals, plastics / rubber, paper / wood / packaging materials, glass, technical textiles, technical / IT and design and logistics services.

Contact: In case of questions, please contact us at [email protected]