The Steering Committee of the Swiss PRO Programme composed of the representatives of the Swiss Cooperation Office (SCO), the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, has approved the project proposals submitted by the civil society organisations and local self-governments in the calls for supporting socially innovative projects.

Grants worth between 10,000 and 14,000 EUR per project were approved to 26 civil society organisations (CSOs) in order to implement “new ideas fit for communities“, i.e. socially innovative projects designed for vulnerable groups. Eleven projects will deal with the empowering of vulnerable groups through trainings, while others will deal with the improved access of public services for vulnerable groups: eight projects put their focus on access to social protection, four projects address improved access to healthcare services, while three of them are focused on education.

“We are extremely pleased with the implemented call, evaluation process, and quality of the projects,” Ursula Läubli, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Serbia said. “This is the continuation of the work in the wake of another successful programme, “European PROGRES” and in the future we will try to provide support to local self-governments in line with their needs but also, in coordination with the line ministry, to support the projects addressing youth employment.”

Moreover, within the second call, technical support for 16 local self-governments was approved so that they can develop or upgrade processes, procedures, and regulations about defining public interest and funding local projects implemented by CSOs, whereas in the next stage part of towns and municipalities will receive support for implementing the projects in partnership with CSOs.

“This is the continuation of successful cooperation between the Governments of Serbia and Switzerland,” Graeme Tyndall, Swiss PRO Programme Manager stated. “Through the Programme we will try to achieve that both the Government and local self-governments have the essential ownership of the processes we implement together, so that the goals and priorities are realised and sustainable in the long run.”

The Calls for socially innovative projects and technical support were opened from 20 June to 3 August 2018. As many as 85 organisations and 16 local self-governments applied for the Call.