ASB delivered first start up equipment for IDPs and returnees in Serbia

2020-08-12

Within the project “Support to sustainable return of internally displaced persons to Kosovo *”, ASB delivered a business equipment to firs 30 internally displaced persons who are interested in returning to Kosovo * from the territory of cities and municipalities: Krusevac, Kragujevac, Kraljevo, Cacak, Raska, Arandjelovac, Trstenik, Vrnjacka Banja, Vranje and Bujanovac, consisted of machines and tools worth 2,500 euros.

At September 2019, the public call was announced, for all interested IDPs and returnees from selected municipalities, to apply for business grants. As part of the public call, ASB organized a public presentations in the mentioned municipalities and cities, where internally displaced persons interested in this topic attended and received all necessary information, answers to questions and application instructions.

Additionally to this, ASB together with the partner organization CenTriR in the period from November 8 to December 8, 2019 in Vrnjačka Banja organized 3 start-up trainings for returnees and internally displaced persons interested in returning to Kosovo*, who competed with their business ideas in our public call for small start-up grants.

The trainings were attended by a total of 93 participants from 10 local governments covered by the project – Kragujevac, Krusevac, Kraljevo, Cacak, Vranje, Bujanovac, Arandjelovac, Raska, Trstenik and Vrnjacka Banja.

Thanks to the training, participants were introduced to the stages of development and testing of a business idea, market and competition analysis, business plan development, as well as available sources for financing startups in Serbia. In addition to this, participants learned how to successfully promote their local business and use marketing strategy in business, as well as how to maintain contacts with customers and the local community in which they operate. After the introductory lectures, the trainings included workshops where participants could practically acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for the development and shaping of their business ideas into business plans. Taking into account the different business ideas that the participants applied for to receive start-up donations, the trainers helped the participants to review, concretize and further develop their business ideas through mentoring work in groups.

After training, 56 selected beneficiaries, with best start up project ideas were selected and granted with machines and tools worth 2,500 euros to start up with their own business. By now, ASB awarded first 30 beneficiaries, while the rest is planned to be delivered by the end of the month.

This project is part of a broader program “EU support for sustainable solutions for internally displaced persons and reintegration of returnees” worth a total of 5.65 million euros.