Three and a Half Million Euros for Infrastructure Projects in the South East and South West Serbia

There is an ongoing public call for submission of concept notes for the local infrastructure projects in 34 municipalities in the South East and South West Serbia for which the European Union allocated 3.5 million Euros. Selection and contracting of projects will be conducted through the Central Finance and Contracting Unit (CFCU) at the Ministry of Finance of the Government of the Republic of Serbia within the European PROGRES programme. The call is open until 28 April 2015.

The total sum of 3.5 million Euros will be used to finance the projects contributing to enhancement of living conditions and those contributing to economic development. The first category comprises the social infrastructure projects such as construction or reconstruction of schools, kindergartens, sports premises, projects contributing to improvement of living conditions of vulnerable groups including Roma and utility infrastructure projects such as water supply and sewerage systems, projects contributing to enhanced waste management, reduction of pollution and improved energy efficiency. The value of individual project in this category will range between 100,000 and 200,000 Euros with mandatory co-financing by the municipalities amounting to 10-49 per cent. The second category involves the projects with the individual value from 100,000 to 300,000 Euros and with additional municipal co-financing of 10-49 per cent that contribute to economic development, attracting of new investments, improvement of infrastructure on brownfield locations, utility development of greenfield locations and improved infrastructure in the existing industrial zones.

The 34 municipalities in the South East and South West Serbia participating in the implementation of European PROGRES programme are eligible to submit their projects. They may also prepare them in partnership with other municipalities, public utility companies, civil society organizations or other local, regional and state institutions mentioned in the Guidelines for Project Applications. The municipalities may submit maximum two project proposals and each municipality may individually receive funding for maximum one project within this public call. In case a municipality is mentioned as a co-applicant on a project, it may sign maximum two contracts. For more details please visit the CFCU website http://www.cfcu.gov.rs/tender.php?id=304.

In order to explain the terms of the public call and ways to apply, European PROGRES held info sessions in Novi Pazar, Prokuplje and Vladičin Han in the period 31 March – 2 April.

The goal of this call is to contribute to enhanced quality of life for the citizens and create environment conducive to sustainable economic growth in South East and South West Serbia. Financial support will be provided only to best projects and that is why it is important for municipalities to do their best to prepare good quality project proposals.

The activities of European PROGRES, the programme contributing to sustainable development of 34 municipalities in the South East and South West Serbia are financed by the European Union and the Government of Switzerland in the amount of 24.46 million Euros. The programme is implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the Department for Contracting and Financing of EU Funded Programmes (CFCU) at the Ministry of Finance of thr Government of the Republic of Serbia. European PROGRES programme includes the following 34 local governments – Novi Pazar, Ivanjica, Nova Varoš, Priboj, Prijepolje, Raška, Sjenica and Tutin in the South West Serbia, as well as Prokuplje, Blace, Žitorađa, Kuršumlija, Leskovac, Bojnik, Vlasotince, Lebane, Medveđa, Crna Trava, Vranje, Bosilegrad, Bujanovac, Vladičin Han, Preševo, Surdulica, Trgovište, Brus, Aleksinac, Gadžin Han, Doljevac, Merošina, Svrljig, Babušnica, Bela Palanka and Knjaževac in the South East of the country.