The private sector is crucial in supporting the implementation of the Global Gateway strategy in the Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood countries. Private sector investments stimulate growth in the economies of our partner countries and support their integration into the European Union.
By combining market insights, dialogue with the private sector, financial tools and other instruments, the ENEST Global Gateway Investment Hub aims to support and accelerate investments in in partner countries in the Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood Region.
The ENEST Global Gateway Investment Hub is coordinated by the Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST) of the European Commission.
It connects European companies, EU Member States, financial institutions, and can involve partner country companies and authorities, to mobilise financial and non-financial support under the Global Gateway strategy.
Calls for Expressions of Interest for private enterprises, joint venture or consortia of companies
As part of the ENEST Global Gateway Investment Hub, the European Commission regularly opens calls for expressions of interest for private investments in specific enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood countries. The primary objective is to enable a dialogue between the European Commission and private companies on concrete investment opportunities and related constraints in these countries. This dialogue is aimed at building a pipeline of transformative private investments that could be potentially supported by the European Commission with its available instruments. Please note that participation does not constitute a guarantee of financial support from the European Commission or partner Financial Institutions.
To engage with us and for further information, please see below current and past calls:
Past calls
Transparency
Transparency and accountability are essential for maintaining the trust of Union citizens in the legitimacy of the political, legislative and administrative processes of the Union. To facilitate Transparency and align with best practices, all companies getting in contact with our services must be registered in the European Union Transparency Register.
How to register: Guidance - European Union Transparency Register
Team National Proposals
The European Commission also considers proposals from the Team National representative(s) from EU Member States. Companies and consortia can submit their investment proposals to the contact point in their respective Member State. If they endorse the project, the Team National can submit the proposal to DG ENEST.
Business forums
Business forums encourage active dialogue between public and private stakeholders, both from local and European backgrounds. They are organised in collaboration with partner countries, the private sector, and the European Commission. Activities at these forums include sector-specific panel discussions, business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) meetings, exhibition booths, and field visits.
Past events:
EU-Ukraine Business Summit 2026 - ON THE ROAD TO URC: 22-23.04 2026 Brussels, Belgium
ReBuild Ukraine: 13-14.11.25 2025 Warsaw, Poland
Investment Conference - Smart Growth, Green Future: Accelerating Investment in Montenegro:
14-15.10.2025 The Chedi, Luštica Bay, Montenegro
EU - Western Balkans Investment Forum: 13-14.10.2025 Tirana, Albania
Western Balkans Digital Summit: 1-2.10.2025 Skopje, North-Macedonia
Moldova Business Week 2025: 15-19.09.2025 Chisinau, Moldova
Ukraine Recovery Conference: 10-11.07.25 Rome, Italy
EU Industry Days 2025: 5-6.06.25 Rzeszów, Poland
Market access
The EU provides online resources and support to assist businesses in global operations, such as:
- Access2Markets Welcome home page, which allows you to obtain information you need when you trade with third countries, such as on tariffs, taxes, procedures, formalities and requirements, rules of origin, export measures, statistics, trade barriers and much more. It also allows you to access key information needed for trade in services as well as for investment and procurement in 3rd countries.
- EU Trade agreements, which gives you a catalogue of the current trade agreements facilitating trade with third countries.
- YourEurope guides you to the most relevant EU and national websites to find out more about the rules on conducting business in the EU.
Support for companies
Whether you are a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) in the EU looking to export and invest beyond the EU, or an SME from our partner country, you can find a collection of specific tools that can help you:
- Ukraine Investment Framework (UIF)
- Support for the internationalisation of EU SMEs.
- Overview of financing instruments available for SMEs in the Western Balkans region
- Active Western Balkans Investment Fund programmes and financing opportunities for the private sector
- EU4Business provides an overview of EU supported projects and opportunities for the SMEs in the Eastern Partnership region
- The EU4Digital Initiative is the EU’s flagship regional programme to support digital transformation and the harmonisation of digital markets in countries included in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) joint policy initiative.
- EU4Innovation supports the Government of Albania in achieving key objectives in the field of economic development, namely, to accelerate the transformation into a more innovation-driven and knowledge-based economy, unlocking its human capital, entrepreneurial as well as research potential and thereby increasing its competitiveness.
- EU4environment helps the Eastern Partnership countries preserve their natural capital and increase people’s environmental well-being, by supporting environment-related action, demonstrating and unlocking opportunities for greener growth, and setting mechanisms to better manage environmental risks and impacts.
- The European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) is one of the financing tools of Global Gateway, promoting sustainable investments in the European Union’s (EU) partner countries.
- The Digital for Development (D4D) Hub is a strategic platform that aims to strengthen digital cooperation between the European Union and its Member States (Team Europe) and stakeholders in partner countries. The private sector is a fundamental partner to support the D4D Hub in promoting a digital transformation. Enterprises and business associations have the opportunity to formally contribute to the D4D Hub’s activities by joining the private sector advisory group (PSAG).
- The EU Tech Business Offer will support EU Tech companies and innovators in the deployment of secure and trusted digital solutions in partner countries.
Private sector development in Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood countries
The EU supports partner countries in developing a striving private sector. We have developed the following studies building market intelligence on the region working closely with Partner organisations:
- Smart Specialisation in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Region
- SME Policy Index: Western Balkans and Turkey 2022
- SME Policy Index: Eastern Partner Countries 2024
- The country factsheets that provide a succinct and data-driven overview of the challenges, opportunities, and progress related to circular economy transitions in key DG ENEST partner countries.
