EU INTEGRA: First INFO Day on Support for the Preparation of Project and Technical Documentation Held in Belgrade

The first INFO Day dedicated to the Call for Proposals for the preparation of project and technical documentation under the EU INTEGRA Programme, funded by the European Union through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance – IPA III and implemented under the auspices of the Ministry of European Integration, was held in Belgrade on 4 September. The event was organised by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM), an implementing partner of the Programme.

The INFO Day was intended for representatives of 14 local self-governments – Sremska Mitrovica, Ruma, Stara Pazova, Irig, Pećinci, Šid, Inđija, Pančevo, Loznica, Šabac, Smederevo, Požarevac, Veliko Gradište and Golubac. Participants were able to attend either in person or online via Zoom.

During the INFO Day, participants were introduced to the objectives and priority areas of the Call for Proposals, conditions for participation, eligibility of applicants, projects and costs, as well as the application forms and supporting documentation required for submission and the project proposal evaluation process. Participants also had an opportunity to discuss specific questions related to the preparation and submission of project proposals with the Programme’s expert team.

Speaking about the importance of the EU INTEGRA Programme, Valentina Vidović, Head of the Department for Management of EU Structural and Cohesion Funds at the Ministry of European Integration, emphasised the importance of continuously strengthening capacities at both national and local levels for the application of an integrated territorial approach to development.

“Through the EU INTEGRA Programme, we are continuing to build national and local capacities for integrated territorial development, strengthen cooperation among local self-governments and support the implementation of territorial strategies. It is particularly important that territorial strategies do not remain at the planning stage, but are translated into concrete projects,” Valentina Vidović said.

Edi Majstorović, EU INTEGRA Programme Manager at SCTM, pointed out that the Call for Proposals represents the next step in translating the priorities defined in territorial strategies into projects ready for implementation.

“High-quality project and technical documentation is one of the key prerequisites for turning local development ideas into concrete investments. Through this Call for Proposals, we aim to enable local self-governments to prepare projects identified in territorial strategies to a level of readiness that will open up opportunities for their further financing and implementation,” Majstorović said.

A total of EUR 733,000 has been allocated for the Call for Proposals, while individual grants range from EUR 30,000 to EUR 70,000, depending on the type of territorial strategy. The grants will cover between 55% and 80% of the total eligible costs of preparing the documentation, and the deadline for submitting project proposals is 5 October 2026.

Under the current Call for Proposals, local self-government units can receive grants for the preparation of project and technical documentation and other documentation required for the implementation of future integrated development projects based on territorial strategies developed under the EU PRO Plus and EU INTEGRA programmes. Project proposals may be submitted individually or in partnership with other eligible partners.

The INFO Day in Belgrade was the first in a series of INFO Days organised by SCTM in Belgrade, Niš, Čačak, Kragujevac and Novi Sad, targeting representatives of a total of 72 local self-governments.

The EU INTEGRA Programme is jointly implemented by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), with the aim of advancing integrated territorial development and strengthening the capacities of local self-governments in Serbia in line with the European Union’s Cohesion Policy.

Detailed information on the Call for Proposals, the Guidelines for Applicants and the accompanying documentation are available on the websites of the EU INTEGRA Programme and the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities.