PROGRAM OF AWARDING GRANTS TO THE BEST BUSINESS PLANS AS PART OF THE USAID’S PROJECT OF PROVIDING SUPPORT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE SOUTHERN AND SOUTH-WESTERN SERBIA – PHASE TWO

29. October 2015.

Entitled to participate in the second phase of the Program are the candidates who successfully completed all three training modules for business start-ups and who prepared business plans.

The candidates are required to develop the business ideas in their business plans that were presented in the first phase of the Program.

Following the completion of the competition for the best business plan, the top 20 ranked business plans will qualify for grants.

Priority in allocating grants will be given to the candidates who don’t have registered businesses and to the businesses owned by women, which were registered in the last two years. Businesses owned by male young people, which were registered during the last two years, will be taken into consideration only if the projected number of beneficiaries of grants within the priority group isn’t reached.

The total funding available for micro, small and medium-sized companies owned by women and the young amounts to 150.000,00 USD, with an average value of 7,500.00 USD per beneficiary, in dinars at the fixed exchange rate of the National Bank of Serbia.

Grants will be approved for the purchase of goods /services necessary for realizing the business idea that was awarded in the competition.

Grant funds can’t be used for the reconstruction of the existing buildings or for the construction of new ones, nor for paying compensation to employees.

The deadline for applying for grants (Phase Two of the Program) is November 13, 2015.

The National Agency for Regional Development shall notify all applicants in writing of the results of the selection of the best business plans not later than 4 weeks upon completion of the assessment of conformity of the business plans with the environmental protection procedures.

For more information, please contact the Centre for the Development of Jablanica and Pcinj Districts.

Applications from the cities of Leskovac and Vranje and the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja should be submitted personally or by registered mail to the Center for the Development of Jablanica and Pcinj Districts; Pana Djukica 42, 16000 Leskovac; Tel: 016 / 315-0115; E-mail: info@centarzarazvoj.org; www.centarzarazvoj.org.

Source: National Agency for Regional Development and the Coordination Body