Eu progress supports the progress of women enterpreneurship

Eu progress supports the progress of women enterpreneurship
Source: Jugpress, 17.06.2015

In the framework of the development program European progress, which aim to support gender equality and economic empowerment of women through the creation of new jobs, announced a public tender for a grant to start a business owned by women and that will lead to women. The European Union and the Government of Switzerland allocated a total of 400,000 euros to support 40 projects. The public call will be open until 24 July 2015.   
 The competition is open to unemployed women, who at the time of publication of the call registered at the National Employment Service for at least three consecutive months, have permanent residence and plan to start a business in one of 34 municipalities or city in the southeast and southwest Serbia involved in the implementation of the program European progress.   "From a woman whose proposals will be selected by the Commission, we expect to launch and run their own business, which will, hopefully, be successful and after the end of the project," said Dragan Mladenovic, sector manager for good governance and social inclusion in the framework of European progress.   The program will support businesses in the production and provision of services and all projects will be selected through a transparent and competitive process. Projects will be selected based on their relevance, expected outcomes and sustainability after their expiry. The maximum amount of funds that may be granted per project is 10,000 euros, while the lowest is 1,500 euros. Implementation of activities within each selected project will last no longer than 12 months starting from the date of signing of the agreement, all activities must be implemented not later than 1 October 2016.   European PROGRESS will be awarded cash grants, but will be in an approved value of purchased machinery, equipment and other durable goods needed to run a business. After the final approval of the project proposal, and prior to procurement and delivery of the required equipment, machinery and durable goods, future entrepreneurs will start the registration process with the Agency for Business Registers.
 The cost of registration and contributions submitted by entrepreneurs themselves.   "Projects support female entrepreneurship aims to provide unemployed women the opportunity to change their lives and their families for the better, and to become a positive example for other women in their communities," said Ana Nedeljkovic, Associate for good governance and gender equality within the program European progress.   To close the tender conditions, the European progression in the period from 26 March to 8 April 2015, the Board held seven information sessions on the southeast and southwest Serbia. Also, the program in May held nine training for preparing business plans for all interested candidates in order to prepare for proposals in the public call.   More information about the call as well as detailed documentation for applications is available on the website of the European Progreso http://www.europeanprogres.org/pozivi/sr/.
   Activities of the European progress, programs which contribute to the sustainable development of 34 municipalities of southeastern and southwestern Serbia, financed by the European Union and the Government of Switzerland with a total of 24.46 million euros. The program implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the Department for Contracting and Financing of EU funds at the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Serbia (CFCU). The European PROGRESS program includes the following local government - Novi Pazar, Ivanjica, Nova Varos, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raska, Sjenica and Tutin in the southwest of Serbia, and Prokuplje, Blace, Žitorađa, Kursumlija, Leskovac, Bojnik, Vlasotince, Lebane, Medvedja Crna Trava, Vranje, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladicin Han, Presevo, Surdulica, Trgoviste, Bruce, Aleksinac, Gadzin Han, Doljevac, Merošina, Svrljig, Babušnica, Bela Palanka and Knjaževac in the southeast.