Business grants in Kosovo: where to find them

A grant looks like free money, and partly it is. But grants come with narrow criteria, short deadlines, co-financing and reporting. The businesses that win them regularly aren't necessarily the best ones; they're the ones that prepare before the call comes out.

Where grants come from#

Agriculture and rural development#

The largest and most consistent programme. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development offers every year:

• direct payments to farmers, per hectare or per head of livestock;
• investment grants for greenhouses, machinery, cold storage, processing farm products and agritourism.

Calls usually open early in the year. Many grants require the farmer to be in the farm register and, for larger investments, to have a registered business. On Kerko you can browse farm businesses by municipality.

Industry, entrepreneurship and trade#

The Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade (MINT) and its enterprise support agency run programmes for:

• micro, small and medium enterprises (equipment, certification, digitalisation);
• women and young entrepreneurs;
• exporting and attending international trade fairs.

Municipalities#

Many municipalities have annual funds to subsidise agriculture, new businesses or specific groups. The amounts are smaller, but so is the competition. Check your municipality's website and its economic development department.

International donors#

The European Union and the development agencies of several European countries fund programmes for innovation, youth employment, the green economy and digitalisation. They're often run through local organisations and innovation centres. Programmes are time-limited and change, so follow current calls.

How it usually works#

1. A public call with criteria, amounts and a deadline.
2. The application, often online, with a form, business plan and documents.
3. Scoring against the criteria.
4. A contract with the winners.
5. The investment: often you make the investment yourself first.
6. Verification and payment: inspectors check the investment and the grant is paid, in full or in instalments.
7. Monitoring: you must keep the investment and the activity going for several years.

Documents you usually need#

• the ARBK registration certificate and NUI;
• proof that you have no debts to ATK;
• a business plan or project description;
• quotes (pro forma invoices) for the equipment or works, often from several suppliers;
• financial statements or tax returns;
• proof of co-financing.

How to write a winning application#

• Read the scoring criteria and write to them. If new jobs earn points, say how many and when.
• Be specific: "we're buying an €18,000 packing machine that raises capacity from 200 to 600 kg a day" beats "we're modernising production".
• Quotes must be real and from registered suppliers. Committees check them, including on Kerko.
• Plan your co-financing. Many winners drop out because they don't have their share. See Business loans.
• Prepare before the call. Registration, up-to-date ARBK details and the tax certificate take time.

The most common mistakes#

• Applying on the last day, with missing documents.
• Buying equipment before signing the contract, when the call doesn't allow it.
• Selling or changing the investment during the monitoring period.
• Application details that don't match ARBK. See Changing business details in ARBK.

If you're at the idea stage, see Business ideas in Kosovo, where some of the ideas (greenhouses, fruit processing, agritourism) are exactly what grants support most often.