The project has already been welcomed by the Securities Market Agency (ATVP), whose head Miloš Čas said that to have a good securities market, "we must urgently bring in new issuers."

He noted that the number of listed companies at the LJSE decreased from 180 in 2010 to 41 today, attributing the drop to reasons such as consolidations, takeovers, mergers and bankruptcies.

More companies could leave the stock market in the future, including the Velenje-based household appliance maker Gorenje, which has been acquired by the Chinese-owned Hisense Luxembourg Home Appliance Holding.

The fate of the retailer Mercator also remains an unknown in the face of the problems of its owner, Croatia's Agrokor.

The LJSE-EBRD programme of support and counselling is open to companies with under EUR 50m in annual turnover, no more than EUR 43m in total assets and with up to 500 employees.

Various small and medium-sized companies, family businesses, private companies looking for capital or start-ups can apply as long as they are not from the defence, tobacco or gaming industries, or the financial sector, said Simona Zeh Atanasovski of the EBRD. Companies have until the end of August to apply.

They can either issue corporate bonds or make an initial public offering (IPO) on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange.

The European Commission will chip in EUR 250,000 for the pilot project, according to LJSE CEO Aleš Ipavec. Slovenia is the first country to successfully obtain these funds. If the project proves successful, it will be rolled out in other countries, he said.

Ipavec hopes that at least one of the companies participating in the programme will be listed on the stock exchange at the end of the programme, involving an 18-month EBRD-sponsored technical assistance programme.

Other interested companies will have the chance to join a two-year partnership programme provided by the LJSE.