As part of the project “Municipalities for EU – Empowering Local Communities in the Process of European Integration of Montenegro,” funded by the European Union, a two-day training clinic was held, dedicated to the preparation of Concept Notes for the new call under the IPA III Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Montenegro – Albania 2021–2027.

Representatives of the municipalities of Bar, Gusinje, Kolašin, and Danilovgrad worked with mentors — Simona Bošković from the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro, and experts Branka Mračević, Goran Đurović, and Darko Mrvaljević — to develop and refine their project ideas. The work focused on topics such as environmental protection, climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as tourism development and the valorization of cultural and natural heritage.

The goal of the training was to help municipalities, through practical work with mentors, develop high-quality and competitive Concept Notes, ready for submission to the open call with a total value of €7.48 million. The deadline for submitting project summaries is 31 October 2025.

Participants were also reminded of the key administrative conditions of the call:

• The Lead Applicant may submit a maximum of two applications under this call and may simultaneously act as a co-applicant or associated partner in one other application but cannot receive more than one grant.
• A Co-applicant or Associated Partner may participate in up to two applications but cannot be awarded more than one grant under the programme.

The training clinic represents another important step toward stronger, more connected, and EU-oriented local communities, ready to make the most of the opportunities provided by EU funds and cross-border cooperation programmes.

More details about the call can be found at the following link.