Eleven female entrepreneurs received support in the form of mentoring, education, visual identity, website development and promotional material, with the aim of improving the quality of their products, visibility, market competitiveness and profitability of their businesses.
Within the project "Strengthening the competitiveness of women's businesses through direct support", implemented by the Business Women Association Montenegro with the support of the Kingdom of Norway through the project "Norway for You - Montenegro", 11 female entrepreneurs received support in the form of mentoring, education, visual identity, website development and promotional material, with the aim of improving the quality of their products, visibility, market competitiveness and profitability of their businesses.
The product fair of entrepreneurs Lidija Giljen and Jelena Glušica Nikolić and the company Herbs & Clay from Nikšić, as well as the cluster "Vrijedne ruke" Bihor from Petnjica was held on 6 and 7 November in Podgorica, organized by the Business Women Association Montenegro, which provided entrepreneurs with additional support in the form of networking, continuous consultation and monitoring after the project implementation.
"The Kingdom of Norway has recognized the importance of investing in women's entrepreneurial potential in Montenegro and financed the project, through which our users have significantly improved their businesses, based on which they will be even better positioned in the market. We also thank the UNOPS, which implements the activities of the program "Norway for You - Montenegro" in the field and whose employees have provided us with great support in the implementation of all project activities," said Ljubica Kostic-Bukarica, President of Business Women Association Montenegro.
The total value of the project is 33,000 dollars, of which 95.45% is financed by the Kingdom of Norway, and 4.55% is co-financed by the Business Women Association Montenegro.
"Within the public call for business support projects, through the project "Norway for You - Montenegro", we have funded nine projects that will directly or indirectly affect the generation of income and increase employment opportunities. I am very glad to see today the concrete effects of our joint efforts, and those are the beneficiaries from Nikšić and Petnjica, who through various activities of the project of the Business Women Association Montenegro received support to professionalize the production and sale of their products. And only with economic empowerment, we can expect an increase in the sustainability and competitiveness of small businesses, which also contributes to the creation of new jobs," said the “Norway for You - Montenegro” Project Manager Armen Čekić.
The fair was held in strict compliance with epidemiological measures, prescribed by the National Coordination Body for Infectious Diseases (NKT) in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.