EU provides EUR 4.5 million to entrepreneurs, micro and small enterprises – Public invitation by July 6

The European Union has set aside EUR 4.5 million as support to enterprises and entrepreneurs, micro and small companies, it was announced in Arandjelovac at the official presentation of the new EU program of local development – EU PRO, which aims to contribute to the total economic and social development of 99 local self-governments in Sumadija and western Serbia region and southern and eastern Serbia.

The public invitation placed by EU PRO for support to micro and small companies is open until July 6, 2018, and eligible candidates are entrepreneurs, micro and small companies registered in the 99 towns and municipalities included in the program and producing or providing IT services, founded between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2017.

Serbian Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic said at the presentation of the EU PRO program that, as a candidate country, Serbia received grants of around EUR 200 million each year and added that Eurointegration was Serbia's foreign policy orientation, as it has provided the country with stability, attracted new investments and given it a better image and with it some influence in international relations, student programs, numerous donations, development aid and IPA funds.

Inviting local self-governments and small business representatives to take active part in the realization of the EU PRO program, the head of EU Delegation, Sem Fabrizi, said that, through this program, which encompasses 99 of the 174 local self-governments in Serbia, investments would be made in infrastructure and a contribution will be made to the improvement of the total economic environment and competitiveness of the local economy.

Ambassador Fabrizi reminded that the European Union was the foremost trade partner to Serbia and that the export from Serbia had tripled in the past three years, that the trade amounted to 64% and that 78% of foreign investments came from the EU. He also pointed out that, in the past 10 years, the EU had invested EUR 3 billion in grants in Serbia.

– Through the realization of projects, local self-governments will have the opportunity to enhance the knowledge and skills they will find useful in carrying out future projects financed by donors, primarily the European Union – Greame Tyndall, EU PRO Program Manager, said and pointed out that the strengthening of local self-governments was an important segment of the country's total economic development.

The activities of EU PRO, a program which contributes to a more evenly distributed social-economic development of Serbia, is supported by the EU with a total of EUR 25 million. The program aims to contribute to the competitiveness of micro and small enterprises, an improvement of the business environment and an enhancement of social cohesion in 99 local self-government units, in two regions: Sumadija and western Serbia region and southern and eastern Serbia. The field activities are carried out by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

Delegacija Evropske unije u Republici Srbiji Beograd

Ministarstvo za evropske integracije Republike Srbije

EU PRO

EUPRO

UNOPS

EU Delegation

subsidies for micro enterprises

subsidies for small enterprises

subsidies for entrepreneurs

subsidies for production industry

subsidies for IT

Jadranka Joksimovic

IPA funds

Sem Fabrizi

Greame Tyndall