A Company Support Center has been established in the Ministry of Defence, the NATO market with an annual value of 5 billion euros has become available for Macedonian companies

The membership of the Republic of North Macedonia in NATO is a key political success, which opens economic doors and gives an opportunity for domestic companies to enter the NATO market, it was said at today’s press conference at the Ministry of Defense, where Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, Minister of Defence Radmila Shekerinska and Deputy Minister of Finance, Dimitar Kovachevski had their statements.

At the press conference promoting the Company Support Center, which has already been established in the Ministry of Defence, Prime Minister Zaev, Minister Shekerinska and Deputy Minister Kovachevski stressed that membership in the Alliance means an opportunity for domestic companies to enter the NATO market, whose tenders exceed 5 billion euros per year.

Minister Shekerinska called upon companies to accept the challenge and participate in tenders for procurement for the Alliance’s needs.

“This is a really competitive market that should not be an obstacle for us, on the contrary, it should serve as an additional motivation for us to be better, more efficient and of better quality,” the Minister said.

“The procurement needs within the Alliance are really substantial and are carried out through the two NATO agencies, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency and the NATO Communications and Information Agency.
They are agencies that North Macedonia can use for part of its own procurement, but they are also agencies through which our companies can participate in that market. Through these two agencies, the Alliance makes procurements from different defence related areas – procurement of uniforms and footwear, disinfectants, construction and equipment of facilities, medications, medical equipment, confectionery, airport equipment, vehicles tires trade, medical services, consulting services in the field of informatics, as well as software solutions and many others. “It is enough to look at the tenders announced by the two NATO agencies to see the wide range of opportunities that open up for our companies,” the Minister said.

Shekerinska said that the support will be substantial and comprehensive and encouraged domestic companies to enter the records of economic operators and to obtain confirmation of the fulfillment of the requirements for participation in NATO procurement procedures.

“Through the Company Support Center, we will help companies first register with NATO agencies and then gain access to announced tenders. “The Center will help transfer the lessons learned for successful tender applications, as well as for connecting Macedonian companies with world giants that already have active contracts with NATO agencies and need suppliers,” the Minister said, adding that the registration process is simple, and all information can be found on the website of the Ministry (Company Support Center).

Prime Minister Zaev stressed that the Government has taken the first steps to help our companies participate in NATO procurement and that in addition to securing our future in terms of security, a number of other opportunities are also provided that will directly benefit our economy, our companies, our citizens.

“We want to assure business people, chambers of commerce and all other business associations that the NATO Company Support Center is not just another bureaucratic link in the process, but a trusted partner with all the information and knowledge to facilitate the procedure and help you establish whether you meet the requirements to participate in NATO procurement in order to become a business partner of the largest military alliance in the world,” said Prime Minister Zaev.

There is potential for additional mobilization of our entire economy, underlined the Prime Minister, because there is a wide range of NATO needs for which procurement is announced, and for a huge part of those needs there are companies in our country that offer such products or services with competitive prices.

Huge opportunities are opening for information-computer companies, the Prime Minister Zaev, and they can be contractors or subcontractors of software and other computer solutions for companies such as Air Bass Defense and Space, Atos Belgium, IBM Belgium, Vector Synergy and other IT giants.

“We are NATO, and now, as part of the Euro-Atlantic family, all its member states accept the Republic of North Macedonia as a reliable and dignified partner in the most powerful military-security alliance in the world and in terms of economic cooperation in support of the alliance mission” Prime Minister Zoran Zaev stated in his address at the press conference for the promotion of the NATO Company Support Center.

Deputy Minister of Finance Dimitar Kovachevski said that with the entry into NATO, in addition to the security and political potentials, the economic potentials for our country have increased and as a contribution to that end, the Ministry of Finance has fulfilled its obligations under the Program for Continuation of the Reforms for NATO Membership with the new Law on Public Procurement in the field of defence and security, which introduced procedures that allow our companies to participate in NATO tenders.

“The opening of this large market is an opportunity for our companies and an impetus for economic growth. “The Ministry of Finance will continue with meetings with the business community to help them qualify for participation in NATO procurement,” said Deputy Minister of Finance Dimitar Kovachevski at the promotion of the NATO Company Support Center.