The Ministry of Economy and Regional Development (MERD) has a leading role in SMEs and entrepreneurship.

According to the ‘Enterprise Policy Development in the Western Balkans: a report on the implementation of the European Charter for Small Enterprises (2007)’, the SME Department within the Ministry of Economy has a clear co-ordination structure and an inter-ministerial SME-Council was recently established. Nevertheless, there is relatively limited co-ordination between the Ministry of Economy and the Government’s SME implementing entity, the Republic Agency for the Development Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Entrepreneurship (RASME).

As indicated in the National Programme for Business Incubators and Clusters Development in the Republic of Serbia 2007 - 2010, the specific objectives are: 

·         Strengthened public-private partnership;

·         Minimum 15 business incubators established and operational;

·         Minimum one park established;

·         Serbian Association of Business Incubators established;

·         Innovation Relay Centre established; and

·         Minimum 10 operative clusters established.

Bearing in mind the comprehensiveness of the Programme, which includes activities of forming infrastructure, strengthening national and local institutions, as well as development of business activities, the estimated total investment for the full Programme implementation is EUR 23 million (Ministry of Economy, 2006).

Contact persons:

Zorica Marić, Department for Regional Development and Entrepreneurship Promotion

Phone: +381 11 2855 201

E-mail: zorica.maric@merr.gov.rs

Milja Svrkota, Department for Regional Development and Entrepreneurship Promotion

Phone: +381 11 2855 201

E-mail: milja.svrkota@merr.gov.rs