The Chamber of Commerce organized a meeting of 19 Montenegrin companies that recently signed contracts in Mostar on the implementation of projects for which EU grants were approved within the first call for proposals under the project "Enhancing MSEs Sustainable Growth and Competitiveness" (EmBRACE).
The companies that received grants were "Remid Vis", "MAS Code", "Trony Network", "Ineska", "Montenegro Adventures", "Alicorn", "Finagate", "Statpro", "Partner media", "MoDrone", "Meditera", "EVC Montenegro", "Upbeat Hub", "ZIP", "Brain Code", "Enterijeri – SNV", "Sinibia", "Vizin Travel" and "Infrastruktura".
The businessmen were addressed by the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Montenegro, Nina Drakić, and the Minister of European Affairs, Maida Gorčević, and company representatives briefly presented their projects and spoke about their experience in applying for EU funds.
Drakić congratulated the businessmen on the results they achieved in the first call of the EmBRACE project, which for the first time provided the opportunity for Montenegrin and Bosnian companies to directly apply for grants that pave the way for the development of new products and services, business improvement and internationalization.
She stated that EmBRACE is an excellently designed project, expressing hope that, based on the results of the first call, it will be extended and supported by additional funds, especially since the Montenegrin projects and those of partners from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina received half of the total funds for the three-year duration of the project, instead of the planned third.
"The financing of 19 projects in which you participate, of which you are the lead partner in as many as six, represents an excellent result. These are 19 new or improved products and services, for which you will receive support in the total amount of 1,1 million euros. I am sure that, along with the mandatory part of your participation, this support will be enough to complete the planned ideas and market them on our market and beyond," said Drakić.
Gorčević emphasized the great importance of such projects for entrepreneurs and all companies from Montenegro.
"This project is not only an opportunity for you to realize your ideas, but also an indicator of your innovation and commitment. I hope that this will be just one of the first events that will serve as the foundation for many more successful projects that you will implement in the future, especially when we become a member of the European Union," said Gorčević.
She also emphasized the importance of bilateral cooperation and networking with companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, which will contribute to better economic results.
Gorčević also referred to the importance of European funds that will be available in the coming years, and the support that the ministry provides to entrepreneurs in Montenegro, whether they are micro, small or large enterprises.
"I am certain that through the next evaluation and reporting periods there will be many more opportunities to improve your projects, and the Ministry will be your faithful partner on that path," said Gorčević, confident that Montenegrin entrepreneurs will provide examples of good practice that will serve as a role model for others.
Representatives of all the companies that received this grant stated that it represents an exceptional opportunity that allows them to improve their projects, expand the market and achieve long-term goals. They agree that such projects, which are crucial for micro and small enterprises, allow them to receive the necessary support for innovation, exchange of experiences, as well as for connecting with partners from other countries. These companies, which form the backbone of the Montenegrin economy, now have a chance to find their place in the wider market, in the region and in Europe.
One of the key factors of success, as they stated, was certainly the strong support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Montenegro in organizing events, networking, and providing selfless assistance throughout the entire application and project implementation process.
"Without this support, we would not have been able to make such big steps in developing our ideas and business," they said.
The meeting was moderated by the Director of the Projects Sector at the Chamber of Commerce, Tanja Radusinović.
The lead agency of the EmBrace project is the Croatian Agency for Small Business, Innovation and Investment, and it finances cooperation between micro and small enterprises in the Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Montenegro border area as part of the Interreg VI-A IPA Programme Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Montenegro for the period 2021 to 2027.
As part of the Interreg VI-A program, a Fund for Small Projects was established - micro and small enterprises, as end beneficiaries, in order to stimulate the growth of that segment of the economy and support their tendency towards digital transformation.
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