10 new small businesses launched in Novi Pazar – Reintegrate II
A ceremony was held in Novi Pazar for the distribution of contracts to an additional 10 beneficiaries of the Reintegrate II project, who will be launching their own businesses in the coming period. In addition to grants, the beneficiaries received mentoring support and counseling to ensure the successful operation of their businesses.
The contract distribution ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Novi Pazar, Mr. Nihat Biševac, representatives of the City of Novi Pazar, the Regional development agency SEDA, and a director of the Initiative for development and cooperation (IDC) Miodrag Nedeljković, which is implementing the REINTEGRATE II project. This project is aimed at supporting returnees and other socially vulnerable residents of the Raška district through economic, psychosocial, and institutional support measures.
With today’s 10 contracts, a total of 33 beneficiaries have been supported in starting their businesses through the project, while 22 beneficiaries have completed requalification and additional qualification training. Additionally, 42 beneficiaries have been employed by 21 employers who received support for creating new jobs through the development of their own businesses.
For the fourth consecutive year, inclusive workshops for children and youth are being organized at the Good Neighbor Club in Novi Pazar, with more than 800 participants expected to attend over 400 workshops by the end of the project.
Two social initiatives have also been launched, aimed at improving and strengthening the social protection system. The Association of Psychologists Novi Pazar, with mentoring and advisory support, has launched the E-Assistant application, while the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Novi Pazar received donated equipment to enhance the functioning of the association and start workshops for their beneficiaries.
The project is led by the German organization ASB (Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund), with IDC from Belgrade as the implementation partner. The project covers the Pirot, Rasina, and Raška districts and is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with the support and co-financing of the City of Novi Pazar.