“Further stabilisation of Kosovo minority and majority communities in Kosovo through enhanced socio – economic support” also known as the “Socio – Project 2”, is an initiative funded by Engagement Global, on behalf of German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development – BMZ and is being implemented by Foundation for Sustainable Economic Development – PREDA Plus Kosovo in partnership WEntrepreneur Kosovo and with the support of Arbeiter Samariter Bund – ASB, Cologne, Germany.

The Project has formally started on November 1, 2020 and will be implemented until December 31, 2022, by a Team of 8 dedicated professionals, supported by ASB Kosovo Team.

The Project aims to continue to create sustainable livelihoods and better socio-economic conditions for ethnic minority and majority families in Kosovo through provision of income generating, capacity building, employment and community development opportunities. It is a continuation of “Socio – Economic Stabilisation of Ethnic Minority and Majority Communities in Kosovo”, known as “Socio – Project 1” which was implemented between February, 2017 and December, 2019. 

“Socio – Project 2” should be seen as an enhanced action, which builds on previous successes and addresses new challenges in Kosovo society. As such, it has taken the best elements of previously implemented activities but also introduces new ideas and actions, which were identified and agreed during consultations with potential beneficiaries, stakeholders and partners.  These activities will mainly target women and youth integration, empowerment and networking.

During the selection of partner municipalities, a special emphasis was put in socio – economic situation; number of youngsters seeking employment; commitment of municipalities to support Project activities and achievement of results; and interest of local business associations to support young entrepreneurs and women in business. In order to build on results achieved during Socio – Project 1 and provide an enhanced support to some of the existing beneficiaries, the Project Team has opted for a combination of 6 existing and 6 new municipalities:

The Project will have 5 main components which are interlinked in order to ensure the achievement of the specific project objective:

Component 1 – Supporting Existing Businesses

– 8 Existing Start Ups: are the former beneficiaries of Socio – Project 1, which have proved the best results and are foreseen to be additionally strengthened. These businesses will have to permanently employ 1 additional person, each.

– 8 Existing Micro-enterprises: are also the former beneficiaries of Socio – Project 1, which have shown greatest results and have the capacity for additional growth. These are enterprises that provide goods and services which replace those from import. These enterprises will have to employ 2 additional persons, each.

Component 2 – Further Strengthening of Business Support Organizations

5 Existing Business Support Centers: are the former beneficiaries of Socio – Project 1, which have a solid membership and have shown willingness to further enhance their operational and management capacities. At least, 5 BSOs will undergo the process of preparation, auditing and complying with ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standard and achieve a certified status. 

Component 3 – Supporting Establishment of Start Up Businesses

90 New Start Ups that promote creative ideas: will be newly registered businesses that have creative ideas for products and services, which are currently limited or non-existent in local markets. 90 such Start Ups will be supported through a specific Grant Scheme, prior to which, a total of 100 interested persons will have to undergo mandatory training, in order to compete for these grants.

Component 4 – Establishment and Support of Social Enterprises

Social Enterprises (SE): will be established in municipalities of Istog and Lipjan. The concept of social entrepreneurship is rather new in Kosovo but, good practices from the region and within EU have convinced Kosovars it may be beneficial for Kosovo communities, as well. 2 such enterprises will be established, each having 20 workers and 2 management/admin staff. Workers of these enterprises will be individuals that belong to social categories while ensuring a proper representation of minorities and gender.

Component 5 – Supporting Community Development Initiatives

Small Community Development Projects: The target group under this Grant Scheme are citizens of respective municipalities which will be using the services/goods deriving from these initiatives. 5 of such projects/initiatives which will derive as a partnership between communities, civil society organizations and municipalities, will be implemented after a competitive process. It is anticipated that approximately 500 families will be benefiting from these projects.