The USAID Sustainable Local Development Project is active in 32 cities and municipalities in Serbia. The aim of one of the Project's components is to strengthen businesses’ activities and increase their comparative advantage in order to enhance income generation and maximize product placement in new, mostly foreign markets. Each of these municipalities has been supported in one particular industry most relevant to the area. Business profiles provide quick facts about these municipalities, such as total population, number of formally employed, average wage, main industries, and exports, etc.
Cooperation between municipalities is established in eight general municipalities: IMC Subotica, IMC Novi Sad, IMC Zrenjanin, IMC Kraljevo, IMC Užice, IMC Novi Pazar, IMC Niš, and IMC Vranje.
USAID Sustainable Local Development Project is active in 32 cities and municipalities in Serbia. One component of the Project focuses on strengthening the business sector with the aim of increasing company revenues. Efforts are underway to enhance competitiveness in order to increase product placement in new, mostly foreign markets.
Inter-municipal cooperation has been established with the following municipalities: IMC Subotica, IMC Novi Sad, IMC Zrenjanin, IMC Kraljevo, IMC Užice, IMC Novi Pazar, IMC Niš and IMC Vranje.
IMC Subotica – IMC Subotica Business Profile
IMC Subotica covers the municipalities of Subotica, Sombor, and Kanjiža. USAID SLDP support is reflected in agriculture. Specifically, in equipping the laboratory of Public Health Institute in Subotica and Regional Educational Center in Sombor. The aim is to increase the comparative advantage and capacity of agricultural producers. The result should be increased placement of fruits, vegetables, and cereals in domestic and foreign markets.
IMC Novi Sad – IMC Novi Sad Business Profile
IMC Novi Sad covers the municipalities of Novi Sad, Beočin, Temerin, and Sremski Karlovci. USAID SLDP support is reflected in the metal industry and IT industry. The goal is strengthening and expanding the capacity of Vojvodina Metal Cluster (VMC) in order to increase metal industry exports in 2014 and to increase employment and business revenues in the IT industry.
IMC Zrenjanin – IMC Zrenjanin Business Profile
IMC Zrenjanin covers the municipalities of Zrenjanin, Kikinda, and Novi Bečej. USAID SLDP support is reflected in agriculture. This support includes equipping greenhouses with the main goal of educating young people and increasing the number of households that grow vegetables. The final result will be a new number of individual agricultural producers.
IMC Kraljevo – IMC Kraljevo Business Profile
IMC Kraljevo covers the municipalities of Kraljevo, Čačak, Gornji Milanovac, and Vrnjačka Banja. USAID SLDP support is in new innovations in the SME sector. The aim is to strengthen the business of IMPuls center in Kraljevo and Science and Technology Park in Čačak.. The goal is to increase the number of firms that use services of IMPuls center.
IMC Uzice – IMC Užice Business Profile
IMC Užice covers the municipalities of Užice, Čajetina, and Nova Varoš. The project supported local manufacturers of agricultural products and those who provide services in tourism. USAID SLDP and Regional Development Agency Zlatibor try to increase the number of procurements from the HORECA sector in the domestic market. The goal is for hotels and other hospitality businesses to purchase more products and services from producers from these municipalities.
IMC Novi Pazar – IMC Novi Pazar Business Profile
IMC Novi Pazar covers the municipalities of Novi Pazar, Sjenica, and Tutin. Support is provided to producers of jeans and footwear. Foreign experts provide advice on how to improve the manufacturing process and select more competitive products, how to improve marketing activities, and find new markets in Serbia and abroad. Expected results should be an increase in business revenues, exports, and employment. Also, the manufacture of furniture and processing of herbs and forest fruits is not so developed, but USAID's predictions are that it has a lot of room for potential future growth.
IMC Nis – IMC Niš Business Profile
IMC Niš covers the municipalities of Niš, Leskovac, Doljevac, Gadžin Han, and Merošina. USAID supports the IT and agricultural industries. The results should be a small increase in employment and business revenues in the Information Technology sector. Support in agriculture is reflected in assisting the Food Processing Support Center in Niš and Food and Technology Center in Leskovac.. Expected results should be increased business revenues.
IMC Vranje – IMC Vranje Business Profile
IMC Vranje covers the municipalities of Vranje, Bujanovac, Preševo, and Vladičin Han. SLDP support is visible in footwear manufacturing by enhancing competitiveness and openness to new markets, and also in realizing new investments in the footwear industry in this region. Expected results should be increased business revenues (especially exports) of the footwear industry, as well as increased foreign direct investments in 2014 and 2015 in the Bunusevac industrial zone in Vranje.
IMC Subotica – IMC Subotica Business Profile (Available in English only)
IMC Subotica covers municipalities of Subotica, Sombor and Kanjiza. Support was provided in agriculture and is reflected in equipping the laboratory of Public Health Institute in Subotica and Educational Training Center in Sombor – all with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness and capacity of agricultural producers operating through cooperatives in the territory of these municipalities. The result should be increased placement of fruits, vegetables and cereals to the domestic and foreign markets.
IMC Novi Sad – Business profile IMC Novi Sad (Available in English only)
IMC Novi Sad covers the municipalities of Novi Sad, Beočin, Temerin, and Sremski Karlovci. The support of the SLDP project is primarily in the metal sector and is reflected in strengthening the capacities Vojvodina Metal Cluster (VMC) and should result in an increase in exports of the metal sector in 2014. Support was also provided in the IT sector. The support of the SLDP project should result in an increase in the number of employees in the information technology sector and an increase in revenue.
IMC Zrenjanin – Business profile IMC Zrenjanin (Available in English only)
IMC Zrenjanin covers the municipalities of Zrenjanin, Kikinda, and Novi Bečej. SLDP support is in agriculture. Assistance was provided in equipping greenhouses in these three municipalities, for the training of young people and increasing the number of households engaged primarily in vegetable farming. The result will be the number of new individual agricultural producers.
IMC Kraljevo – Business profile IMC Kraljevo (Available in English only)
IMC Kraljevo covers the municipalities of Kraljevo, Čačak, Gornji Milanovac, and Vrnjačka Banja. Support is in innovations in the small and medium-sized enterprises sector and is reflected in strengthening IMPuls Center in Kraljevo and Science and Technology Park in Čačak. Possible results in 2014 can be seen in a larger number of companies using the services of the IMPuls Center for production innovations (primarily the creation of prototypes of new products).
IMC Užice – Business profile IMC Užice (Available in English only)
IMC Užice covers the municipalities of Užice, Čajetina, and Nova Varoš. Assistance was provided to local food producers and tourism service providers. The SLDP project, in cooperation with Zlatibor Regional Development Agency, is trying to increase the volume of procurement for the HORECA sector in the local market. The goal is for hotels and catering facilities to procure more products and services from producers in these municipalities than has been the case so far.
IMC Novi Pazar – Business profile IMC Novi Pazar (Available in English only)
IMC Novi Pazar covers the municipalities of Novi Pazar, Sjenica, and Tutin. The support of the SLDP project is provided to denim producers and footwear manufacturers, through advice from foreign experts for improving production processes and selecting more competitive products, improving marketing activities, and entering new markets domestically and abroad. Expected results are an increase in business revenue, exports, and the number of employees. Furniture production and the collection and processing of medicinal herbs and forest fruits are small-scale, but according to SLDP project estimates, they have potential for growth.
IMC Niš – Business profile IMC Niš (Available in English only)
IMC Niš covers the municipalities of Niš, Leskovac, Doljevac, Gadžin Han, and Merošina. SLDP support is concentrated in the IT sector and should result in a slight increase in the number of employees in the information technology sector and an increase in revenue. In addition to this sector, support was also provided to the food industry. SLDP supports the work of the Niš Center for Support of the Food Processing Industry. The support is of a smaller scale. Technology and Food Park in Leskovac should receive more significant support by the end of 2014 from the SLDP project. The expected results of both initiatives are revenue growth for companies engaged in food production in the territory of Niš, Leskovac, and three smaller municipalities.
IMC Vranje – Business profile IMC Vranje (Available in English only)
IMC Vranje covers the municipalities of Vranje, Bujanovac, Preševo, and Vladičin Han. The support of the SLDP project is in the footwear manufacturing sector and is significant in improving the competitiveness and market entry of footwear manufacturers, as well as in the realization of new investments in the footwear industry in this region. Expected results are an increase in revenue (especially exports) of the footwear industry, as well as an increase in foreign direct investments in 2014 and 2015 in the Bunuševac Industrial Zone in Vranje.
