SARIO SME Internationalization Services
Connects Slovak small businesses to export pathways through mission trips, supplier matching, and trade education.
SARIO, the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency, operates a rolling National Project titled "Support for Internationalization of SMEs 2" under Operational Programme Research and Innovation, Priority Axis 3, Investment Priority 3.2, with co-delivery by the Slovak Business Agency (SBA). The programme targets small and medium-sized enterprises incorporated and operating in Slovakia that seek to expand into EU and international markets. All services are delivered in-kind and free of charge — there is no monetary award — making this an access-to-markets support track rather than a grant.
The programme delivers six categories of support: national pavilion participation at international trade fairs, outbound and inbound business missions, sourcing and cooperation events, Export Academy advisory webinars, an interactive supply-chain database tool called "Find in Slovakia" that matches Slovak suppliers with international buyers, and market gap identification and export-potential assessments. Eligibility is restricted to Slovak SMEs that are for-profit legal entities; sole traders, universities, research organisations, and non-profits are not eligible. There is no fixed annual deadline — individual events and activities are scheduled throughout the year and announced on SARIO's events calendar.
Applicants engage with SARIO on an event-by-event basis rather than through a single application window. Companies that invest in building export capacity through the Export Academy seminars and Find in Slovakia platform are best positioned to convert participation into firm-level international sales. The programme is administered through SARIO's trade and promotion division; enquiries are routed via SARIO's main office, and the SARIO Voucher Support 2026 call operates as a related but separately administered sub-instrument under the same umbrella programme.
Non-financial internationalization services: trade fairs, missions, cooperation events, Export Academy, Find in Slovakia platform.
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