Direct dialogue between institutions and the business community, the presentation of concrete funding opportunities, and the creation of new prospects for business development were at the core of the panel discussion “Opportunities for Financing and Supporting Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises”, organized by the project “Municipalities for the EU – Empowering Local Governments in the EU Integration Process” in cooperation with the Municipality of Nikšić.
The event brought together representatives of local government, international initiatives, and the business community, with the aim of bringing available support programmes closer to entrepreneurs and facilitating easier access to financing.
Opening the event, Biljana Pinjatić, representative of the Municipality of Nikšić, emphasized that such gatherings are of particular importance as they enable direct communication between institutions and businesses, which is key to improving the business environment and creating new development opportunities.
“The Municipality of Nikšić continuously works on improving conditions for business development. We have established a Business Council and adopted a Local Employment Strategy for the period 2024–2028, with the aim of creating concrete support measures and encouraging new employment,” said Pinjatić.
She also highlighted that the Municipality provides direct financial support through its programmes. “We allocate non-repayable grants for self-employment of hard-to-employ individuals, with an annual fund of €40,000. We also continuously support the development of women’s entrepreneurship, recognizing its importance for overall economic growth,” Pinjatić added.
When it comes to EU-funded projects, the Municipality of Nikšić has successfully implemented the projects “From Knowledge to Jobs Together”, targeting employers, and the “Employment Excellence Programme”, aimed at the unemployed. Currently, the STEELCITYZEN project is being implemented – focusing on the diversification of labour markets in industrial cities of the Danube Region through enhanced stakeholder cooperation and skills alignment, with the goal of supporting local transitions and promoting long-term sustainable development. The project is funded through the Interreg Danube Region Programme.
Branka Mračević, representing the project “Municipalities for the EU – Empowering Local Communities in Montenegro’s EU Integration Process”, emphasized the importance of connecting the local and European levels.
“Our goal is to make EU funds and opportunities more accessible at the local level. Events like this clearly show how important it is to connect municipalities, institutions, and businesses in order to truly make use of these opportunities,” said Mračević.
During the panel, Ilija Mugoša, representative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) in Montenegro, Tanja Radusinović, Director of the Projects Sector at the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro, and Gordana Čolaković, representative of the Secretariat for Finance, Development and Entrepreneurship of the Municipality of Nikšić, presented a range of ongoing programmes and projects available to the business sector, highlighting concrete funding opportunities for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
It was particularly emphasized that these programmes target different stages of business development – from idea development and start-up support to improving competitiveness, digitalisation, green transition, and internationalisation.
As concluded, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises today have access to more funding opportunities than ever before, but timely information and readiness to seize these opportunities remain crucial.
The Municipality of Nikšić, as highlighted, will continue to be a reliable partner to the business community in this process, through concrete support measures, information, and initiatives that contribute to the development of the local economy.
Evropski institut za inovacije i tehnologiju (EIT) – link (pdf)
Programi podrške privredi – link (pdf)
Programi i finansijska podrška MSP u Crnoj Gori – link (pdf)
