Donors: Ambasada Kraljevine Holandije i opštine Pirot, Gadžin Han, Vranje

Duration: March 2007 – December 2007

Region: south Serbia

Budget: 210.000,00  EUR

Description: The continuation of the programme which started in 2005 focuses on economic support to local development in Serbia. The approved continuation will be implemented from March 1, 2007 until December 31, 2007, providing assistance to the beneficiaries in Pirot, Gadzin Han and Vranje municipalities. Main interventions will concentrate on facilitation of business incubation through income grants assistance schemes for small businesses as well as provision of business and vocational training and education. HELP will support implementation of existing local strategies for local development and facilitate process of sustainable development as a whole.

Assistance to private sector development will be exclusively provided within the frame of the existing local development strategies with a strong involvement of local authorities into the decision making process.

In total 115-targeted small businesses at the territory of Pirot, Gadzin Han and Vranje municipalities will be assisted with in kind grants with average value up to 1200 EUR provided by HELP in cooperation with the targeted municipalities. Training and education will be conducted through local development partners.

Current activities:

In the last two weeks of December 2007 HELP has held final meetings with the clients supported within the project in the municipalities of Vranje, Pirot and Gadzin Han. Project activities as well as results achieved in cooperation with the local institutions, organizations and development partners were publicly presented.

In the targeted municipalities 125 clients were supported with the in-kind grants for business activities in the average value of 1200 Euros (in dinar counter value), out of which 45 in Vranje, 39 in Gadžin Han and 41 in Pirot, while the percentage of female population participating in the project was 39,2%.

As far as the type of business activities supported in all three municipalities is concerned, agriculture prevailed with 61,60%, followed by crafts 22,40 % and services with only 16%.

Registration of business activity, one of the clients’ obligations in the project cycle, was fulfilled by 93,6% of supported clients.

Concerning the trainings for the clients, HELP organized 134 business and 119 vocational trainings.

For the need of final evaluation of the supported businesses progress, current field activities refer to the monitoring, advisory and counselling services to the supported clients.

September 2007
HELP donation, Gadzin Han

December 2008, Pirot
Final meeting