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Eleven municipalities in Georgia receive 5 mln GEL in grants for local infrastructure, business development

The grant programme applies Kakheti, Imereti, Guria and Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti regions of Georgia. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.

Agenda.ge, 20 Jul 2020 - 16:49, Tbilisi,Georgia

Eleven municipalities in Georgia have been awarded 5 million GEL in grants for local infrastructure and business development as part of a programme to support the integrated development of Kakheti, Imereti, Guria and Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti, announces the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia. 

These grants are part of the [Georgian] government’s 220 million GEL Pilot Integrated Regional Development Grant Programme, of which 186 million GEL will come from EU funding. The aim of the programme is to promote more balanced territorial development and improve living standards and conditions of the population in the regions through inclusive, smart and sustainable socio-economic means", reads the press-release published by the EU Delegation to Georgia.

The first phase of the first grant competition began last month and the municipalities of Vani, Sachkhere, Tkibuli, Samtredia, Baghdati, Tsageri, Sagarejo, Telavi, Akhmeta, Ozurgeti and Chokhatauri received 5 million GEL in funding.

The development of the Georgian regions is a priority for the EU, and with this programme the EU hopes to ensure that this development is balanced and not just focussed on the main cities of Tbilisi and Batumi. We have worked hard with the government to put the proper structures in place and are happy to see them in action. We look forward to providing over 186 million GEL through our EU4ITD programme to make this initiative a success”, said Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Georgia Vincent Rey.

The development of regional policy in Georgia is one of the areas of the EU-Georgia cooperation under the Association Agreement. The Pilot Integrated Regional Development Programme 2020-2022, co-financed through the budget support scheme by the EU, was approved by the government in December 2019. The programme follows the European model of regional development and was implemented for the first time among the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries in Georgia.