Support programs of the Development Agency of Serbia

The Development Agency of Serbia (hereinafter referred to as ” DAS “) has published two public invitations for participation in SME support programs aimed at increasing the capacity of companies for the purpose of inclusion in the international value chains of multinational companies (hereinafter referred to as ” MNC “). as well as encouraging domestic companies to adopt the business principles of international value chains.

1. Program of support to companies for the adoption of business principles in international value chains

The right to participate in this Program and to use grants is available to business entities that, among other things, meet the following conditions:

1. micro, small and medium-sized companies or entrepreneurs registered by January 1, 2021;
2. majority owned by a domestic legal or natural person;
3. have an ISO 9001 certificate or plan to implement it in this Program;
4. operate in supported activities, including the production of electrical equipment, electronic, metal products, rubber and plastic products, paper packaging, vehicles and the like;
5. that within the framework of the predominant activity, they are engaged in the production of direct or indirect materials, components, systems and subsystems that belong to the supported activities;
6. have at least 5 employees and an annual income from product sales of at least RSD 20,000,000 in 2023.

Grants can be awarded to finance justified costs related to the implementation of at least two project activities, one of which must be “Implementation of business performance evaluation prior to listing on reference interactive platforms”.

Project activities that may be subject to co-financing by DAS, as well as subsidy amounts, are:

1. Evaluation of business performance and entry to interactive platforms: up to 100% of costs, maximum RSD 400,000.00;
2. Quality system certification (eg ISO, IATF): up to 50% of costs, maximum RSD 2,000,000.00;
3. Introduction of a software solution in order to digitize production processes: up to 70% of costs, maximum RSD 5,000,000.00;
4. Creation and optimization of the website: up to 70% of costs, maximum RSD 300,000.00;
5. Consulting services in various areas such as optimization of business processes, corporate governance, compliance with green industry requirements, compliance and reporting related to ESG factors and others: up to 70% of costs for small companies and 50% for medium-sized companies up to a maximum amount of 1,000. 000.00 RSD., with maximum amounts up to 1.500.000.00 RSD depending on the type of service.

The total budget of this Program is 45,000,000.00 RSD, while the maximum amount per user is: 7,000,000.00 RSD. The public call is open until February 28, 2025, that is, until the funds are used up.

2. Support program for companies to enter the supplier chains of multinational companies

The right to participate in this Program and to use grants is available to business entities that, among other things, meet the following conditions:

1. micro, small and medium-sized companies or entrepreneurs registered by January 1, 2021;
2. majority owned by a domestic legal or natural person;
3. have an ISO 9001 certificate or plan to implement it in this Program;
4. operate in supported activities, including the production of electrical equipment, electronic, metal products, rubber and plastic products, vehicles and the like;
5. that within the framework of the predominant activity, they are engaged in the production of direct or indirect materials, components, systems and subsystems that belong to the supported activities;
6. that it has an established cooperation with an MNC or an MNC supplier or that it is in the evaluation process for the selection of a qualified supplier by the MNC;
7. have at least 5 employees and an income in 2023 of at least 35,000,000.00 RSD , i.e. 20,000,000.00 RSD for companies that have cooperation with MN

Grants can be awarded to finance justified costs related to the realization of the following project activities :

1. Investment in tangible assets:

• Purchase and installation of high-performance production equipment (CNC machines, industrial robots, packaging lines) up to three years old :
  • for micro and small businesses: up to 70% of costs, maximum RSD 10,000,000.00 ;
  • for medium-sized companies: up to 50% of costs, maximum RSD 10,000,000.00.
• Purchase of equipment for quality control of raw materials, production and finished products :
  • for micro and small businesses: up to 70% of costs , maximum RSD 9,000,000.00 ;
  • for medium-sized companies: up to 50% of costs , maximum RSD 9,000,000.00.
• Purchase of a specific new tool at the request of MNC:
  • for micro and small businesses: up to 70% of costs, maximum RSD 4,000,000.00 ;
  • for medium-sized companies: up to 50%, maximum RSD 4,000,000.00.

2. Investment in intangible assets :

• Quality system certification according to industry standards (ISO 14001, ISO 45001, IATF 16949 and similar) :
  • b refunds: up to 50% of costs, maximum RSD 2,500,000.00.
• Introduction of software solutions for optimization of production processes (purchase and implementation) :
  • Grants: up to 70%, maximum RSD 7,000,000.00.
• Production of prototypes or trial series of products for MNC.
  • Grants: up to 50%, maximum RSD 1,500,000.00.

3. Consulting support for improving business performance :

• Consulting services in various areas such as optimization of business processes, corporate governance, strengthening of management structures, strategic and operational planning, familiarization with the principles of business in international value chains, harmonization with the requirements of the green industry, introduction of procedures and reporting related to ESG factors, which includes : environmental protection, workers’ rights, health and safety at work, respect for human rights, corporate governance, ethical behavior and others:
• for micro and small businesses and entrepreneurs: up to 70% of costs, maximum RSD 1,000,000.00;
• for medium-sized companies: up to 50% of costs, up to a maximum of RSD 1,500,000.00.

The total budget of this Program is 180,000,000.00 RSD, while the maximum amount per user is: 23,000,000.00 RSD. The public call is open until February 10, 2025, that is, until the funds are used up.

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For any additional consultation or legal assistance regarding the Programs, you can contact the Tasić & Partners team by email at [email protected] or by phone at +381116302233.