Representatives of the European Union and the Ministry of Economy announced today that for the second year in a row, companies can use a jointly funded programme that supports micro and small businesses in the procurement of equipment. As part of the EU Opportunity Week, representatives of the EU Delegation and the Ministry of Economy and the EU Delegation to Serbia announced a new call for proposals to be held during the summer, through which businesses can additionally profit from this project.
Katarina Obradović-Jovanović, Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Economy, highlighted the main features of the programme. “The maximum amount of grants that can be awarded toa business entity is RDS 5 million. 25% of the investment is covered by grants, 70% is a loan or lease from financial institutions, and 5% is the user’s own participation.
“So far, 716 micro and small businesses, entrepreneurs and cooperatives have already benefited from this programme. Some of the items purchased through these funds include manufacturing equipment, specialized machine parts and tools; solar plants; as well as construction machinery. It makes business stronger, more competitive and helps Serbia as a whole,” said Martin Klaucke, Head of Section at the EU Delegation to Serbia and in charge of this programme.
The total amount of remaining available funds is about RSD 1.4 billion (≈ EUR 11.8 million). The total budget for this two-year programme amounts to EUR 26 million, EUR 16 million from the national budget of the Republic of Serbia and EUR 10 million from the EU pre-accession funds. So far, the EU and the Ministry of Economy have jointly invested almost EUR 14 million to encourage the development of companies in Serbia.
A new call for proposals is expected to be published in the coming weeks.
