59 business ideas financed under the Entrepreneurial Programme for High-Mountain Settlements in the Racha‑Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region

In the mountainous regions of Racha Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, 59 business ideas have been selected and financed under the state-programme “Entrepreneurial Support for High-Mountain Settlements”. The initiative aims to stimulate local entrepreneurship and socio-economic development in remote settlements.

According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the competition targeted residents of designated high-mountain settlements, supporting sustainable business activities that leverage the natural, cultural and agricultural potential of the area. Beneficiaries receive co-financing and technical assistance to launch or expand enterprises.

The support covers a broad range of sectors: agribusiness, processing, eco-tourism, sustainable forestry, and value-added services tied to local natural resources. Each selected project will undergo monitoring to ensure proper implementation and ecological compliance.

“The lives of people in remote mountainous villages must improve,” said Davit Songulashvili, Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture. “By empowering local business initiatives, we help create jobs, support incomes and sustain communities in regions that often lag behind. This is a strategic priority for us.”

Through such programmes, the government seeks to address rural-mountain depopulation by making mountain livelihoods more viable, encouraging younger generations to stay and invest in their native communities.