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Farmers, cooperatives, and small- and medium-sized businesses involved in agriculture and food processing can apply to the USAID Agribusiness Project for grants to obtain certification so they can export goods. 

The Program for the Introduction of Food Safety and Quality Standards, now in its third year, helps grantees meet other countries’ strict requirements for standardization and certification guaranteeing the quality and safety of food products.

Further information on the application process can be found in the PROCUREMENT section.

During the past two years, the USAID Agribusiness Project has disbursed nearly US$300,000 (RSD21.3 million) to 59 agribusinesses to help them meet international food safety and quality standards. These include ensuring that foods are organic, halal or kosher, or that they meet the criteria set by international organizations.

These include GlobalG.A.P., a group that sets standards to reduce chemical use, ensure worker safety, and minimize the environmental effects of farming; HACCP, a system that identifies hazards and their control to ensure food safety; ISO 22000, a management system to ensure safety in the food chain; and ISO 14001, standards to minimize farming’s negative effects on the environment.

Agribusinesses that produce or process fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs, spices, meat and dairy products can qualify for the grants so they can export their products.  Meeting these standards also improves production efficiency, decreases costs, assures compliance with environmental requirements, and protects consumers' health.

The USAID Agribusiness Project has just completed seminars in the southern cities of Kragujevac, Sjenica, Leskovac and Nis to teach livestock producers to be more productive while providing higher-quality animals to meat processors. 

The classes were held in cooperation with the local NGO Agrar Kontakt.  Roughly 80 farmers and the small- and medium-sized meat processing companies they supply attended the sessions.

The meetings were just a part of the assistance that the USAID Agribusiness Project provides to Serbia’s livestock and meat industries.  The project is helping Serbian meat processors become more competitive and to export their products throughout the region and into Western Europe.  

In addition to training livestock farmers, the USAID Agribusiness Project is introducing processors to new production technologies that meet international quality and safety standards and improve their packaging and marketing.  In addition, USAID is helping them meet foreign buyers and expand their product lines.

Within the framework of the Program for the Support of Entrepreneurship amongst Youth, the USAID Agribusiness Project has launched a grant program for students that have successfully completed the USAID Agribusiness Project Entrepreneurship Training Program. The training program was implemented in collaboration with the Schools of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade, Novi Sad and Cacak and the Junior Achievement Program.

Detailed information and application procedures in Serbian

Application Form in Serbian

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The USAID Agribusiness Project and the Office for Sustainable Development of Underdeveloped Areas signed a Memorandum of Understanding today to jointly provide assistance to women in agribusiness. 

This alliance will combine USAID’s and the Office for Sustainable Development of Underdeveloped Areas’ expertise and resources to promote entrepreneurship among women living in rural areas and to encourage them to improve their economic standing through self-employment in agribusiness. 

In 2010, the USAID Agribusiness Project launched its Women Entrepreneurs in Agribusiness Project to enable equal participation of women in agribusiness and, ultimately, increase Serbia's competitiveness in agriculture.  Through this project, close to 300 women have learned the basic concepts of entrepreneurship.  

These classes have resulted in 235 bankable business plans for funding by institutions and development organizations.  USAID, the Office for Sustainable Development of Underdeveloped Areas, local governments and other local partners are currently considering 25 for financing.

The Office for Sustainable Development of Underdeveloped Areas has already selected three of the plans to receive start-up funding.  USAID has allocated funds to support about 10 more.  

Women from the less-developed regions of southwestern and southeastern Serbia will be able to take upcoming classes.  The Office for Sustainable Development of Underdeveloped Areas will fund roughly 20 start-ups from these areas once classes and business plans are completed. 

The USAID Agribusiness Project will continue to support women who have participated in the program and will provide technical and advisory assistance to selected business strategies.

Entrepreneurship courses will be held in June for agricultural students at universities in Belgrade, Cacak and Novi Sad. Students who complete this training will receive certificates and be eligible to apply for the third round of the USAID Youth Business Plan Competition which will award up to $15,000 for the best student start-up business plans.  USAID has allocated $300,000 for this activity.

Students who complete this training will receive certificates and be eligible to apply for the third round of the USAID Youth Business Plan Competition which will award up to $15,000 for the best student start-up business plans.  USAID has allocated $300,000 for this activity.

The objective of the Youth Business Plan Competition is to create opportunities for students to conceive, plan, articulate and initiate new agricultural businesses. Through this competition and other activities focused on youth, USAID is working to create a new class of young agricultural entrepreneurs, which in turn will lead to new jobs and improved livelihoods for communities throughout Serbia.  

Students are eligible to enter the competition if they have business plans for the production and/or processing of fresh and/or processed vegetables, tree and/or berry fruits, meat products (excluding fish and poultry), dairy products, forest fruits, herbs, and mushrooms. 

The training program’s curriculum covers: business planning and risk analysis; developing a business plan and launching a business; creating marketing, sales and financial plans; company registration; real-life examples and interactive approaches; and government subsidies and bank loans.

USAID partners in this activity are the School of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade and Cack, Krusevac SME Agency, Economic Institute, and CEFE Serbia.