North Macedonia’s Innovation Agency is launching a €25 million support scheme to help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises invest in the green transition, expand their operations and improve competitiveness.
Minister of Digital Transformation Stefan Andonovski said the scheme follows several months of stalled financing for innovation projects. It aims to support 300 companies, attract €8 million in private co-financing and contribute to the creation of 700 new jobs. Andonovski explained that the delay was linked to the need to review previous procedures amid suspicions of corruption and criminal complaints.
Funding will be distributed through several public calls. The first is expected to be announced soon and will support companies seeking to implement international and ISO standards or obtain relevant certifications.
Grants of up to €5,000 will be available, with beneficiaries required to contribute at least 20% of the project cost from their own resources.
Later phases will provide grants of up to €30,000 for smaller green investments and up to €300,000 for larger projects. Both categories will require companies to cover at least 50% of eligible costs themselves. The application process will be fully digitalised, with submissions accepted exclusively through the government’s uslugi.gov.mk portal.
Andonovski said the evaluation process would be rigorous and designed to ensure impartiality and prevent subjective influence over funding decisions. He also encouraged businesses to begin preparing project proposals and documentation ahead of the calls, noting that innovation and digital hubs, including Inova and DigitMak, could assist applicants.
