The statement recalls that the funds that an export company can be granted are between 250,000 dinars and 2.5 million dinars. It goes on to say that such huge interest of domestic export companies is beyond all expectations, especially since only 192 applications in six rounds were submitted last year for the same programme financed by the EU.
Submitted applications will be publicly opened on September 26 and the deadline for companies to submit demands for the funds to be paid out to them is December 20, reads the statement adding that last year SIEPA completed the implementation of the EU programme titled Serbian Export Market Development Assistance Scheme (SEMDAS), which served as a model and basis for this assistance programme.
Last year, the average amount of assistance in all six rounds stood at about €11,700 meaning that 98 Serbian companies invested approximately €23,400 in export-oriented marketing development activities.
The programme's total budget is 100 million dinars and the funds will be distributed to exporters through public competitions. The costs of the activities the companies choose to carry out will be refunded by up to 50%.
SIEPA's non-repayable assistance is primarily intended for successful small and medium-sized enterprises that produce goods for export or offer export-oriented services and do not hold a major share in foreign markets, but have good potential and satisfactory business projects aimed at achieving that goal.
A committee set up by the Ministry of Finance will determine whether the conditions for participating in the programme have been fulfilled as well as the amount of funds to be granted. The committee will comprise a member proposed by the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister (who is also chairman of the committee), ministers of finance minister, economy and international economic relations and SIEPA Director each.