Chamber of Construction and Building Materials Industry of Slovenia

CCBMIS in brief

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (CCIS = slov. GZS). CCIS provides essential services for enterprises operating in Slovenia. The CCIS was founded on 12th January 1851, as "Trgovska in obrtna zbornica za Kranjsko" . CCIS has around 6,000 member companies of all sizes and from all sectors. It is Slovenia’s most influential business association. Annual income in 2022: 12 mio EUR.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (CCIS) is a non-profit, non-governmental, independent business organisation (employer) representing the interests of its members. With a tradition of more than 170 years, it is one of the most influential business organisations in Slovenia. CCIS brings together under its umbrella more than 25 sectoral associations representing all the main industrial sectors in Slovenia. CCIS has 13 regional offices throughout Slovenia. The 150 employees of CCIS provide know-how, expertise and knowledge in various fields that are important for the economy. CCIS is a partner of the government in drafting legislation and industrial policy strategies. CCIS is a member of numerous government bodies, boards and committees and supports them with know-how and expertise in various areas of education and learning. CCIS has the status of a social partner organisation and is a member of the Slovenian Economic and Social Council. Together with its branch organisations, CCIS negotiates collective agreements in the private sector. CCIS provides all kinds of services to enterprises (especially SMEs) to support them and create a business-friendly environment. These include advice and services for companies to develop new products and services, research more efficient processes or improve productivity, as well as facilitating access to public research institutions and their services. We help companies to realise their innovative potential, manage intellectual property and access funding. CCIS is a member of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). The CCIS Environmental Protection Department (EPD) represents the interests of its members in constant contact with the relevant Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning in order to represent the interests of industry and commerce to the legislator. Communication with the Ministry has been a top priority since the 1970s when the Environmental Protection Department was established. It provides professional support to its members in all environmental matters that are important to companies and legally binding. CCIS represents the interests of members at regional and national level and participates in the development of policies, recommendations and legislation that are important for the implementation of all major post-Green Deal legislation. The main advantage of CCIS is the direct contact with its member companies at all levels (management, human resources, legal, development, innovation, technical-operational level, production, etc.). The strategic orientation of CCIS is the cooperation and involvement in all processes for forming the economic and business environment as well as economic policies including all efforts to improve the economic, societal and environmental development of Slovenia. CCIS owns also VET center (CPU) to support cVET – lifelong training of adults. 
Department for innovation support, chamber is leading efforts to promote innovation and annual innovation awards for business entities. The history of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Innovation Awards dates back to 1997. We manage instruments to Build Firm Capabilities via organization of annual Innovation day (https://daninovativnosti.gzs.si/) and Innovation meet ups (https://inovacije.gzs.si/inovacijski-meetup/ ) and raise awareness about policies, legislations and action plans. 
Under the umbrella of the CCIS, there are also STARTUP and SCALEUP company sections, which are essential for Slovenia's development breakthrough by 2030 and for the realisation of the goals set by the CCIS at the Economic Summit in 2022.It is important that businesses (s)remain a vocal, professional and constructive generator of initiatives, programmes, which, through the representative voice of the representative of the economy, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, can move into dialogue with the government and stimulate entrepreneurial initiatives and correctly guide state decision-makers in helping start-ups.
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The Chamber of Construction and Building Materials Industry of Slovenia (CCBMIS, slov. ZGIGM) is a professional industry branch association organised within CCIS. CCBMIS was founded in 1952 and in 2021 represents approximately 300 sectoral member companies (registered under NACE 41, 42, 43 and partly under B, and partly C) and organisations, including the largest construction companies, businesses and construction institutes. The functions of CCBMIS are carried out under the statutory powers conferred on the Chamber in accordance with the relevant legislation. CCBMIS advocates positions and proposes policies related to the position of the sector, sectoral social partners, legislative and governmental institutions and their national and international associations, and promotes good sectoral practises, national social partners and employers' organisations. There are 3-5 staff working in this CCCBMIS department, but their daily work also involves cooperation with many other CCIS departments. Its main task is to take a stand and propose policies in the interests of the federation's members vis-à-vis the social partners, the legislature and government institutions, as well as national and international federations. The federation supports its members through the dissemination of various sectoral information and data, through various consultations, through legislative issues, through the development of sectoral VET, through the facilitation and promotion of business opportunities, through the organisation of sectoral training and events, and through the representation and dissemination of members' proposals. CCBMIS collects various statistical sectoral data, produces various sectoral technical publications, sectoral templates for balanced contracts, regularly issues newsletters and sectoral position papers. CCBMIS provides ongoing technical support to companies on various national and foreign issues. CCBMIS is actively involved through projects in many types of EU programmes and their various calls dealing with VET and adult education, green and digital transition, sectoral innovation, single market policy (posting of workers), social dialogue (development of sectoral social parritatian funds) and other issues, etc. The CCBMIS staff are active members of the Field Boards at public authority RS CPI (www.cpi.si) - the national regulatory body for VET. We regularly work with CPI staff in the Department of Vocational Skills Development in line with labour market needs and staff in the Department of Curriculum Development and Guidance. Annual meetings with sectoral public VET providers (5 public VET centres and 5 higher education institutions in Slovenia) help to maintain good relations and exchange news with the education sector. Due to the intensive cooperation in the field of sectoral education, the following issues and topics are addressed together: new ways of learning, teaching and training and setting up new LMS tools for sectoral cVET, digital skills development, improving the image of the sector, etc. CCBMIS has experience in creating content for learning units and modules for the curriculum and in the open source e-learning platform. We offer and embed numerous pilot experiences to the construction schools and centers– VET organizations. CCBMIS is also an active FIEC member. More on our actual Slovenian web site: www.gzs.si/zgigm .

CCIS CCBMIS is a signatory of new national sectoral collective agreement (KPGD)

Members of CCBMIS are companies and organisations with following STANDARD CLASSIFICATIONS:

Quarrying of stone, sand and clay

B08.1

Manufacture of bricks, tiles and construction products, in baked clay

C23.3

Manufacture of cement, lime and plaster

C23.5

Manufacture of articles of concrete, cement and plaster

C23.6

Cutting, shaping and finishing of stone

C23.7

Construction of buildings

F41

Civil engineering

F42

Specialized construction activities

F43

 

CCBMIS shortly:

          Representing interests of the construction industry

          Key statistics information for the construction companies and entreprenuers

          Proposals for sectoral legislation changes

          Social (sectoral) partner

          Organizations of sectoral events and training

          Involved in national education and training for construction industry

          Promotion of good foreign sectoral good practices

          Active FIEC member (www.fiec.eu)