The Ministry of Economy and Labor today launched five Public Calls according to the Program for the Development of Entrepreneurship and the Competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises for 2024.
As the Minister of Economy and Labor Besar Durmishi announced, total of MKD80.000.000 have been allocated from the Budget of the Ministry of Economy and Labor for the measures in accordance with this Program.
Starting today, small and medium-sized companies can apply for five measures to receive financial support for:
- Public Call for subsidizing micro, small and medium enterprises
- Public Call for subsidizing artisans
- Public Call for reimbursement of part of the costs for the certification of the HALLAL system of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- Public Call for reimbursement of part of the costs for certification of quality systems according to ISO standards of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- Public Call for co-financing of projects for the development and promotion of entrepreneurship and craftsmanship, as well as program activities of business angel networks.
For the Public Call for subsidization of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, MKD57.000.000 are provided, and companies that employ at least two people can apply, through co-financing of 40% of the proven costs incurred for the purchase of new machines, but not more than MKD350.000 per applicant.
Private, active enterprises with majority domestic capital (over 50%) can apply, if bankruptcy proceedings have not been initiated for them, if they belong to the category of micro, small and medium-sized companies, if they are from the manufacturing industry, if they have not operated with losses in 2023 and have no debt to the state. Among the conditions are that they have at least two permanent employees and that they have not been subsidized following the Public Calls from the Ministry of Economy in the past three years.
For the Public Call for subsidizing artisans have been provided MKD 6.500.000, and the craftsmen and artisans will be subsidized through co-financing of 40% of the proven costs, but not more than MKD200.000 per applicant, spent for the purchase of new machines and/ or tooling and new product design.
The right to participate in the Public Call is for active registered craftsmen and artisans, provided that no bankruptcy proceedings have been opened for them, that they have no debts to the state and employees, that they have worked for at least one year before the launch of the Public Call and that they have not received financial resources from the Public Calls of the Ministry of Economy in the past three years.
A total of MKD2.000.000 is provided for the Public Call for reimbursement of part of the costs of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises for the certification of the HALLAL system, and 40% of the proven costs will be co-financed, but no more than MKD200.000 individually for each applicant.
All companies belonging to the category of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, from the manufacturing industry, which are not bankrupt, have been operating for at least one year before the launch of the Public Call, and have not operated with losses in 2023 can apply to this Public Cal, that they have no debt to the state and employees and that they have not received financial support for the same purpose.
For the Public Call for reimbursement of a part of the costs of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises for the certification of quality systems according to ISO standards, MKD2.000.000 are provided, and 40% of the proven costs will be co-financed, but not more than MKD200.000 individually for each applicant.
Active micro, small and medium-sized companies from the manufacturing industry can apply to this Public Call, which do not have bankruptcy proceedings, have worked for at least one year before the launch of the Public Call, have not operated with losses in 2023, have no debt to the state and employees even if they did not receive financial support for the same purpose.
For the Public Call, MKD8.000.000 has been earmarked for co-financing of projects for the development and promotion of entrepreneurship and craftsmanship, as well as program activities of business angel networks.
For this measure, co-financing of projects of foundations and associations related to non-financial support for the development of entrepreneurship and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises is foreseen through co-financing of 70% of the costs for the realization of a project, but not more than MKD350.000 per applicant.
Areas for co-financing: green economy; electronic commerce; access to finance and alternative forms of financing; internationalization; circular economy; - digitization of processes; artificial intelligence; promotional activities of the concept of business angels and creation of a culture of social entrepreneurship.
Active foundations and associations, established for purposes related to the development, support and promotion of entrepreneurship and competitiveness of SMEs registered under the Law on Associations and Foundations, can apply to this Public Call