EUROPEAN UNION

EUROPEAN UNION OFFICE IN KOSOVO / EUROPEAN UNION SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE

PRESS RELEASE

Kosovo enterprises present initial success of MSME Grants Program

Pristina, 15 October 2015

EU Office/EUSR and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) organised a visit to 7 enterprises awarded within the programme ‘Support to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in Kosovo’ (MSME) on 13 and 15 October 2015. The field visits to enterprises located in the municipalities of Pristina, Gracanica and Gjilan/Gnjilane were organised to monitor the on-going implementation of awarded grants and to promote programme’s initial impact on strengthening local MSMEs competitiveness.

Visited enterprises - operating in various sectors such as the production of confectionery, textiles, jewellery, beverages, and hygienic products - received a total of €342,484 in grants from the EU Office and MTI, in order to increase their production capacity and introduce new lines of goods to the Kosovo and foreign markets. Early results of the grant scheme were revealed through the marked increase in levels of domestic sales and considerable number of new export contracts fulfilled with buyers in Albania, Croatia, fYROM, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, and Sweden, as well as the positive impact on employment generation in the local communities.

Minister of Trade and Industry, Hykmete Bajrami in her speech during the visit said that the awarded grants aimed at supporting the development of the private sector and it is obvious that businesses started feeling the effects instantly. We continue to support local producers through certification of products with quality standards, which will be done in cooperation with European Commission through IPA 2016 funds. Speaking at the visit, Head of the Cooperation Section at the EU Office in Kosovo, Christof Stock, said that through these measures the project aims to assist businesses in taking concrete steps in improving their competitiveness, stimulate innovation and increase employment within enterprises.

MSME Grants programme, which is implemented by the International Organization for Migration, contributes to strengthening the local economy and reducing the trade deficit in Kosovo by improving the capacities of MSME in order to upscale production in an efficient and sustainable way in line with internationally-recognised standards. In the framework of the €4 million programme, a ______For more information contact: Safet Kabashaj, Outreach Officer, [email protected], 038 5131 525; European Union Office in Kosovo/EUSR website: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/kosovo total of 36 enterprises (21 micro and 15 small and medium enterprises) were awarded as a result of a competitive process to which 786 project proposals were originally submitted. Monitoring and promotion of all awarded enterprises will continue in the forthcoming months up to the presentation of the cumulative impact of the MSME Grants programme expected in mid-2016.

Note to editors: the list of 7 visited enterprises

"ALM GROUP" SH.P.K. (Graçanicë/Gracanica) Project title: Expansion of the production N.T.P. "UNION CO" SH.P.K. capacity for wet wipes, pocket wipes and (Prishtinë/Priština) makeup wipes Project title: New line for Shampoo Total Project value: 168,606 Euro Total Project value: 40,800 Euro EU/MTI funds: 108,674 Euro EU/MTI funds: 25,000 Euro Co-financing by company: 59,932 Euro Co-financing by company: 15,800 Euro New employment to be generated via grant: New employment to be generated via grant: 5 10 people people

"SWEET POP" SH.P.K. (Graçanicë/Gracanica) D.P.Z. "FESTA" (Gjilan/Gnjilane) Project title: Taking back the chocolate market Project title: Empowerment of women in Total Project value: 174,622 Euro business EU/MTI funds: 130,891 Euro Total Project value: 16,590 Euro Co-financing by the company: 43,730 Euro EU/MTI funds: 12,401 Euro New employment to be generated via grant: Co-financing by company: 4,188 Euro 13 people New employment to be generated via grant: 4 people

N.T.P. "SABAJA CRAFT BREWERY" (Prishtinë/Priština) D.P.Z. "GAN-DIZAJN" (Gjilan/Gnjilane) Project title: Sabaja draught packaging project Project title: Increase Production Capacities of Total Project value: 22,697 Euro Jewellery and Certification with Quality EU/MTI funds: 19,292 Euro Management System Total Project value: Co-financing by company: 3,404 Euro 24,970 Euro New employment to be generated via grant: 2 EU/MTI funds: 21,224 Euro people Co-financing by the company: 3,745 Euros New employment to be generated via grant: 3 people N.T.P. "ILIRI GR" (Prishtinë/Priština) Project title: Women clothing production Total Project value: 36,265 Euro EU/MTI funds: 25,000 Euro Co-financing by company: 11,265 Euro New employment to be generated via grant: 5 people

______For more information contact: Safet Kabashaj, Outreach Officer, [email protected], 038 5131 525; European Union Office in Kosovo/EUSR website: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/kosovo