GRANTS
BIG SMALL BUSINESSES PROJECT ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT TPI APS 2023-01
Deadline: April 30, 2024
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Big Small Businesses project (Projekat velika mala privreda) is a five-year activity ACDI/VOCA is implementing in partnership with J.E. Austin Associates, Center for Advanced Economic Studies (CEVES), and the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation.
The Project aims to create and strengthen an ecosystem to help Serbian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to better integrate into higher value markets and achieve a more inclusive and sustainable development in the focus sectors of Agriculture & Food and Equipment and Machines – with intersectional opportunities in Digitalization, Green Economy, and Creative Industry applications, which is in line with the priorities of the Smart Specialization Strategy of the Republic of Serbia.
Therefore, by opening the funding /grant opportunities through the Annual Program Statement TPI APS 2023-01, we seek responsible private sector partners willing to collaborate and implement concrete market-driven solutions to resolve key development challenges.
We are looking to create effective and efficient partnerships with our grantees that will advance:
a) private sector-led market-driven and market-oriented development;
b) the Big Small Businesses project’s strategic priorities and objectives;
c) the ongoing and sustainable generation of valuable development outcomes, results, and impact; and
d) investing in inclusive outcomes through enabling opportunities for women and youth.
We are expecting your Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from June 21, 2023, to April 30, 2024.
E-mail for questions and receipt of applications: Grants_Serbia@acdivoca-serbia.org
The Annual Program Statement solicitation – TPI APS 2023-01 – outlining requirements and conditions
for participation along with the required templates you can find here:
Annual Program Statement
Expression of Interest
Budget
Application Form
Certifications
USAID Big Small Businesses Project TPI Fund Grant – CLOSED
Deadline: June 16, 2023
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Big Small Businesses project (Projekat velika mala privreda), hereinafter the Project, is a five-year activity implemented by ACDI/VOCA in partnership with J.E. Austin Associates, CEVES, and the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation. The Project will empower Serbian market actors to lead localized initiatives that spur small and medium enterprise (SME) growth through integration in high-value markets. Working through a wide range of Serbian market actors at the local level, the Project will catalyze new behaviors, relationships, and the improved performance of SMEs and their support systems. To achieve its goals, the Project will employ facilitative market systems approach that puts Serbian actors in the lead and enables regionally tailored implementation* in the focus sectors of Agriculture & Food and Equipment and Machines – with intersectional opportunities in Digitalization, Green Economy, and Creative Industry applications.
The Equipment & Machines sector (hereinafter E&M) in Serbia has strong development potential due to clear end-market linkages, opportunities for innovation and value-addition, many MSME suppliers, and opportunities for workforce development activities and employment. Although currently dominated by large and international firms, this sector includes 3,982 MSMEs, 98,000 employees, and €1.4 billion gross value added, growing at 6.1 percent over three years, with exports comprising 70 percent of sector revenue (Serbia Statistical Office, 2019).
Considering this, the Project aims to address gaps by supporting the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Activity for preselected 400 MSMEs operating in the E&M sector scattered in different regions in Serbia. This group of 400 randomized MSMEs in the equipment and machinery sector serve as the key partners in identifying the impacts of Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification. Lean Six Sigma is one of the best-known methodologies for operational efficiency and continuous improvements MSMEs.
Recognizing the importance of learning and the need for robust data collection and analysis, this grant activity will be subject to an impact evaluation (IE) applying a randomized control trial method. The evaluation intends to measure changes in various MSME business outcomes that are attributable to the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Activity. The evidence gathered during the IE will contribute to the Big Small Business’s knowledge base and support broader learning objectives to improve development programming. Participating in the impact evaluation mission will allow the successful bidder an opportunity to contribute to evidence-based decision-making, shape future programmatic interventions, and strengthen the overall impact of our efforts.
The Call for Applications is open for receiving applications until June 16, 2023.
E-mail for questions and receipt of applications: Grants_Serbia@acdivoca-serbia.org until June 07, 2023.
Full text of the CFA 2023-01 outlining the terms and conditions for the application for this funding opportunity, Application Form, Certifications, Amendments, and Budget can be found here:
- TPI CFA 2023-01 Appendix A Application Template
- TPI CFA 2023-01 Appendix B Full Grant Application Budget Final BSB
- TPI CFA 2023-01 Appendix C Certifications, Assurances, Representations, & Other Statements of Subrecipient
- TPI CFA 2023-01 Big Small Businesses Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Activity
BIG SMALL BUSINESSES PROJECT ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT TPI APS 2022-01 – CLOSED
Deadline: April 27, 2023
The Big Small Businesses project (the Project), aims at empowering Serbian market actors to lead localized initiatives that spur small and medium enterprise (SME) growth through integration in high-value markets. Working through a wide range of Serbian market actors at the local level, the Project will catalyze new behaviors, relationships, and the improved performance of SMEs and their support systems.
To achieve its goals, the Project will employ a facilitative market system approach that puts Serbian actors in the lead and enables regionally tailored implementation in the focus sectors of Agriculture & Food and Equipment and Machines – with intersectional opportunities in Digitalization, Green Economy, and Creative Industry applications. The Project will foster local entrepreneurial “ecosystems” of sector-specialized firms by supporting business support providers (BSPs), financial institutions, and other service providers to increase SMEs’ productivity and profitability. At the same time, the Project will work on improving SMEs’ marketing and exports through business services, strengthening supply chain relationships, sectoral (horizontal) cooperation, and enhancing the quality and traceability of their products. In addition, the Project will strive to diversify the financial products and services available to SMEs, improve SME utilization of financial services, and leverage the considerable public, private, and other resources available for investment. Finally, the Project will invest in inclusive outcomes by expanding opportunities for female and youth, and other marginalized groups through actors in workforce development, the private sector, and the education system.
The Project will utilize the Transformational Partnership and Innovation (TPI) Fund expected to leverage locally available resources by issuing grants to address gaps in the Serbian market system with opportunities to engage system actors in efforts that support experimentation and learning.
The objective of this Annual Program Statement TPI APS 2022-01 S is to solicit applications from eligible organizations, business service providers, financial service providers, associations, research and educational institutions, market system leaders, and other market actors, that present creative and innovative technical approaches and methodologies, for supporting the Project’s objectives and results.
The Annual Program Statement is open for receiving applications from October 27, 2022, to April 27, 2023.
E-mail for questions and receipt of applications: Grants_Serbia@acdivoca-serbia.org
Full text of the Annual Program Statement TPI APS 2022-01 outlining the terms and conditions for the application for this funding opportunity, Application Form, Certifications, Amendments, and Frequently Asked Questions can be found here: