KOSGEB-KUCUK VE ORTA OLCEKLI ISLETMELERI GELISTIRME VE DESTEKLEME IDARESI BASKANLIGI

Their core work

KOSGEB is Turkey's national SME development and support agency, operating under the Ministry of Industry and Technology. Through the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), KOSGEB runs regional innovation support offices across Turkey — from Anatolia and the West Mediterranean to the East Marmara and Black Sea regions — helping SMEs access EU funding instruments, improve their innovation management capacity, and connect with European business partners. Their H2020 participation is entirely focused on Coordination and Support Actions that build the bridge between Turkish SMEs and European innovation programs like the SME Instrument and COSME.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2014–2017, KOSGEB focused heavily on building internal EEN capacity: training key account managers, deploying innovation assessment tools, and establishing regional support offices (Anatolia, West Mediterranean, East Mediterranean). From 2018 onward, the focus shifted toward direct SME support outcomes — helping companies access the SME Instrument, expanding geographic coverage to East Anatolia and the Black Sea corridor, and scaling successful regional models (EENinnoSMES reached its 4th iteration, INNOVIST its 4th). Funding per project also grew significantly, suggesting more mature and ambitious operations.

KOSGEB is expanding its geographic footprint within Turkey and shifting from building internal EEN infrastructure to actively channeling Turkish SMEs toward competitive EU funding instruments.

How they like to work

KOSGEB overwhelmingly leads its projects — coordinating 19 out of 25 — which reflects its role as the national-level agency distributing EEN activities across Turkish regions. With only 33 unique partners and collaboration limited to a single country, KOSGEB operates as a domestic hub rather than an international networker. For potential partners, this means KOSGEB is the gateway to the Turkish SME ecosystem: they bring the regional offices, the SME pipeline, and the institutional mandate, but you should expect to work within Turkey-focused consortia.

KOSGEB's 33 consortium partners are concentrated within Turkey, reflecting its role as a national coordination body distributing EU support programs across domestic regions. The network is wide within Turkey but has minimal direct cross-border partnership diversity.

What sets them apart

KOSGEB is not a research organization — it is the Turkish government's primary instrument for SME development, giving it unmatched reach into Turkey's SME landscape across multiple regions. For anyone wanting to engage Turkish SMEs in EU programs, KOSGEB is the institutional entry point with offices spanning Anatolia, the Mediterranean coast, the Marmara region, and the Black Sea corridor. No other Turkish H2020 participant combines this geographic breadth with a government mandate for SME innovation support.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SOUTHINNOGATE (2020-2021)
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 40,115) and represents KOSGEB's role bridging COSME and Horizon programs for Turkish SMEs.
• bsnEA (2020-2021)
  Second-largest funding (EUR 38,681) and marks KOSGEB's expansion into East Anatolia — their newest and most underserved regional EEN node.
• EENinnoSMES4 (2020-2021)
  Fourth iteration of their flagship Anatolia innovation management program, now including Fast Track Innovation support — showing the program's maturity and evolution.