EU to Launch the First Round of Rural Development Grant Competition in Mestia

With support from the EU, CARE Austria, in partnership with PMC Research Center announces grant competition in all 17 administrative units of Mestia municipality for supporting economic development, social and non-commercial initiatives.

The aim of the grant competition is to improve socio-economic conditions of the local population at Mestia municipality, through increasing competitiveness and diversification of economy, inclusion of vulnerable groups in economic and civic activities, promoting reasonable use of local natural resources, through applying the EU’s LEADER approach.

The project “Implementing LEADER for better livelihoods in Mestia municipality” is implemented under the EU’s ENPARD (Euroepan Neighbourhood Program for Agriculture and Rural Development) program, with support from the European Union, and the Austrian government. The project implies mobilizing local civil action, and ensuring wide inclusion of local population, especially vulnerable groups, through promoting their participation in realization and elaboration of the local development strategy; as well as institutionalizing local civil efforts through creation and strengthening of the “Local Action Group” of Mestia municipality, and providing support to implementation of local development strategy objectives. These components are carried out through applying European LEADER approach.

The grant competition will support commercial (farming, and non-farming), as well as social and non-commercial initiatives. For detailed information please consult the Grant Competition Guide document and Annexes 1 and 2.

The eligible applicants for the grant competition can be individuals, as well as legal entities registered in Georgia, carrying out their work at the territory of Mestia municipality.

The competition will be conducted into two stages:

I stage – presenting the project ideas

II stage – submitting the full proposal

This call requires the potential applicants to present their project ideas. The applicant, through project idea forms (commercial-attachment 1 and non-commercial attachment 2) will present the required information, upon evaluation of which, the applicant will be selected for the next stage, for submitting the full proposal. The successful applicants will further be informed about the subsequent steps. The winners of the first stage will be invited for the second stage competition.

The deadline for presenting project ideas is March 15, 2020, 18:00.