BCR launches George SmartEU, a functionality that facilitates access to information about funding programs from European or national funds

Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) announces a new expansion of the George digital ecosystem through the launch of George SmartEU, functionality that facilitates entrepreneurs’ access to complete information about financing programs from European or national funds.

At the moment, George SmartEU has 32 funding programs included, which fall into two broad categories: financial instruments (guarantee schemes) and grants (national or European). Funding program availability is updated in real-time in the app to give entrepreneurs access to the latest and most relevant information on accessing funds based on eligibility criteria.

“George SmartEU is a useful tool in stimulating local entrepreneurship, in the sense of developing transformational projects for their own companies and for the community, from technological modernization to creating skills for the present and the future. It truly facilitates information for all those interested in funding programs and provides entrepreneurs with real-time access to relevant data through which they can create business and impact at scale. At the same time, the launch of George SmartEU strengthens BCR’s portfolio of personalized advisory services and solutions for the business environment and comes to support the growth of the financial health of businesses in Romania, through informed decisions, the diversification of funding sources and the development of an optimal capital structure “, said Sergiu Manea, CEO of BCR.

“George SmartEU brings together technology, access to resources, suitability between business plans and available financing with new development opportunities. By developing this functionality, we wanted to ensure that all our customers can easily navigate through the complexity of funding programs, identifying the most relevant opportunities for their businesses so they can scale and create positive impact in society. In addition, we wanted entrepreneurs to benefit from a personalized experience, which significantly reduces the time of searching, checking compatibility and eligibility criteria for funds”, said Oana Bâra, Coordinator of BCR Financing Programs.

The George SmartEU solution was created together with Oceanobe, a software development company from Iasi, and the development and implementation process lasted three months. Oceanobe is a 100% Romanian company, a creative hub for innovative software products, covering areas such as sustainable construction, asset management, banking, payment processing, mental health, energy, and digital media.

“By partnering with Oceanobe, BCR introduces George SmartEU to our digital universe and demonstrates once again its commitment to innovation and supporting local entrepreneurship. Romania has a growing number of innovative start-ups and talented entrepreneurs aiming to revolutionize various sectors, including the financial sector. Oceanobe and BCR have the same vision in this field, that of facilitating access to digitization, including fields that may seem more traditional at first glance, such as applying to European funds. The Oceanobe team’s mission is to provide our business customers with a long-term partnership they can rely on for the growth and development of their businesses. We are honored to contribute to this important step that we are taking together, with the launch of George SmartEU”, said Robert Tamaș, Founder of Oceanobe.

George was launched in 2018 and has 2.3 million users. From 2021, the ecosystem also opened for business, offering entrepreneurs a portfolio of digital products and functionalities. Currently, over 140,000 companies are registered in George for business.