Development Agency of Serbia (RAS) has initiated the multi-year Support Programme for Companies to Join the Supply Chains of Multinational Corporations (MNC) with the support of the World Bank, with the objective to implement potential integration of national companies into the supply chain of the MNC. Relevant (priority) sectors include: car industry, equipment and components for car industry (plastic, rubber, machines/equipment); metal processing; machines and equipment of other designation; wood processing and furniture production; sector of rubber and plastic; industry producing household appliances and parts of household appliances; electrical and electronic systems and elements of electrical and electronic systems.

WHAT?

The Programme will co-finance the activities of the companies planned to prepare and enhance their performances in line with the requirements of the MNCs. The Programme will co-finance the following groups of activities:

–       Investments into tangible property of Programme Beneficiaries, comprising the extension and reconstruction of production facilities – RAS will co-finance this activity with up to 40% of the overall value of justified expenses;

–       Investments into tangible property of Programme Beneficiaries, comprising the purchase of production equipment (up to 3 years old) – RAS will co-finance this activity with up to 60% of the overall value of justified expenses;

–       Investments into tangible property of Programme Beneficiaries, meaning the purchase and installation of equipment for automatization / digitalization of the production process – RAS will co-finance this activity with up to 70% of the overall value of justified expenses;

–       Advisory support to modernize the production lines – RAS will co-finance this activity with up to 80% of the overall value of justified expenses;

–       Advisory support to establish the serial production – RAS will co-finance this activity with up to 80% of the overall value of justified expenses;

–       Advisory support to optimize the production process in line with current principles implemented in targeted industries – RAS will co-finance this activity with up to 80% of the overall value of justified expenses;

–       Advisory support to improve the quality control of finished goods – RAS will co-finance this activity with up to 60% of the overall value of justified expenses;

–       Advisory support to the certification of the quality system towards the requirements of standards implemented by specific industries – RAS will co-finance this activity with up to 50% of the overall value of justified expenses;

–       Advisory support to introduce the corporative management – RAS will co-finance this activity with up to 50% of the overall value of justified expenses.

The budget designated for this Programme is RSD 463,000,000.00. The maximum amount per Programme Beneficiary is RSD 23,000,000.00, also being the threshold for providing the “de minimis“ state aid. If the same company used the state aid in the current and in the previous 2 fiscal years, the amount of approved grants will be decreased by such amount.

Participants:

The applicants must fulfil the following general requirements:

1. that they are registered in the Serbian Business Registers Agency;
2. to be registered no later than as of 1st January 2016;
3. that they are under the private ownership;
4. that the applicant’s registered activity is production and processing in the field of: car industry – devices and components for the automotive industry (plastics, tires, machines / equipment); machinery and equipment for other purposes; wood processing and furniture production; metal processing industry; rubber and plastics industry; production of household appliances and parts of household appliances; industry of electrical and electronic systems and elements of electrical and electronic systems;
5. that the applicant’s products belong to the group of direct materials purchased by MNC, or that they are integrated into the finished product of MNC;
6. that they are not experiencing difficulties as defined in the Regulation on the Rules for State Aid Granting;
7. that it is not affiliated to the buyer / potential buyer (within the meaning of the Regulation on the Rules for State Aid Granting);
8. that no prior bankruptcy proceedings, or liquidation proceedings have been initiated against them;
9. that in the previous 12 months as of the date of submitting the application, they have not been blocked in the continuity lasting longer than 14 days or overall 30 days;

1.    that they settled all the liabilities arising from the taxes and contributions;
2.    that they have minimum 15 employees to indefinite period, as at 31st December 2018;
3.    that their generated revenue in 2018 of minimum EUR 400,000.00 in RSD counter value;
4.    that there is the value of fixed assets of minimum EUR 500,000.00 in RSD counter value in 2018 Balance Sheet;
5.    that they have implemented quality system compliant with ISO 9001.

WHY PARTICIPATE?

The main objective of this Programme is to provide support to national companies belonging to manufacturing industries, to become eligible for joining the MNC suppliers by improving their business performance. In other words, Programme will help to build capacities of national companies aimed at their joining into the international value chains.

HOW PARTICIPATE?

The applicants, with all their accompanying forms and documents shall be filed personally or by the courier mail in the printed form and in the electronic document form containing the electronic signature (using the flash memory stick), to the following address:

Development Agency of Serbia

Kneza Miloša 12/III,

11000 Belgrade

with the indication:Application to the Invitation to Public callfor the participation in the support Programme for companies to join the supply chain of multinational companies.

WHEN?

Public invitation for participation in the Program was published on May 13th 2019 and will last for 30 days with the possibility of reopening if the entire amount of the grant is not spent.

To learn more about the Programme, visit www.ras.gov.rs or contact RAS: dobavljaci@ras.gov.rs.