The Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) is an EU-funded financial mechanism that supports the EU's enlargement strategy, which is intended to support candidate and potential candidate countries in the EU accession process.
Responsibilities for independent IPA management (Indirect management) have been delegated to the relevant eligible national authorities of the Republic of Serbia based on the Decision of the European Commission on conferring management powers relating to the EU IPA. The Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs is one of the beneficiary institutions with accredited IPA Unit responsible for the implementation of IPA projects under various implementing arrangements.
The other management mode is direct management where IPA is managed directly by the EU as the Contracting Authority.
CURRENT PROJECTS - IPA PROJECTS
IPA 2013
Within the IPA 2013 Sectoral Program for Social Development through Measure 1 and Measure 2, 4 projects are implemented in the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs.
Measure 1 is related to increasing the effectiveness and inclusiveness of employment services through development of training system based on a “Skills Gap” analysis, design and delivery of tailored programmes for unemployed and particularly PWDs and employment subsidies with the purpose to contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth for the Republic of Serbia by building a more knowledgeable and skilled labour force, improving social protection policies and promoting the social inclusion of vulnerable populations, enabling greater opportunities for a better standard of living in alignment with the targets set forth by the Europe 2020 Strategy and to develop a system that significantly contributes to the efficient and effective matching of supply and demand and overall functioning of the labour market, with special emphasis on the inclusion of the PWDs. The project planned value within the Measure 1 was EUR 7,000,000.00, and 2 projects are being implemented:
- „Technical Assistance for Capacity Building in Employment Policy” – Technical assistance (Service contract)
- „Support to the National Employment Service (NES) Employment Programme” (Direct grant)
Service contract
„Technical Assistance for Capacity Building in Employment Policy”
- Technical Assistance is provided by a consortium PLANET S.A., BEST, AECOM International Development Europe SL, Economic Institute in Belgrade and CREFOP.
- The project value is EUR 1,829,050.00. The Technical Assistance implementation contract was signed on June 1, 2017 and the project implementation started on August 30, 2017.
- The project implementation period is 31 months (30/08/2017 - 30/03/2020).
- The project is funded by EU and co-funded by the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs in the total value of 10%.
- The project is managed by the Ministry of Finance - Department for Contracting and Financing of EU Funded Programmes (CFCU) - Contracting Authority. The main Beneficiary is the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs.
- The core focus of the project „Technical Assistance for Capacity Building in Employment Policy” (CBEP) is the development of systems and processes that significantly contribute to efficient and effective matching of labour supply and demand and overall functioning of the labour market, with special emphasis on the inclusion of persons with disabilities. To this aim,
- the CBEP project supports national labour market institutions – the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, the National Employment Service (NES) and the enterprises for vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities (EVREPWDs), to develop a modern system and process of organizing training for the unemployed and to develop and implement active labour market policies.
- The project contributes to overarching policy objectives of the National Employment Strategy 2011-2020 of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth of the Republic of Serbia by building a more knowledgeable and skilled labour force, promoting social inclusion of vulnerable populations and enabling greater opportunities for a better standard of living in line with the targets set forth by the Europe 2020 Strategy.
- The purpose of the project is:
- to reduce labour market skills mismatches by improving the existing NES training system and
- to improve the impact of employment measures and services tailored to the needs of persons with disabilities.
- The Project shall bring about the following results:
- Skill gaps identification to increase the employability of the unemployed registered within NES and subsequent improvement in quality of NES training programs. Improvement in the process of training organization in NES
- Improvement of employment services and measures delivered by NES to the persons with disabilities
- Improvement in quality of vocational rehabilitation and vocational training in enterprises for vocational rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities
- Support to NES and MoLEVSA for effective implementation and monitoring of the IPA 2013 Direct Grant for NES
- Awareness raising and effective communication of the project towards key stakeholders and the general public for a greater visibility of national & EU funded actions to the benefit of vulnerable groups in the labour market.
Direct grant
„Support to the National Employment Service Employment Programme”
- The „Support to the National Employment Service Employment Programme” project is a direct grant awarded to the National Employment Service.
- The value of the project is EUR 4,996,090.89. The direct grant contract was signed on May 16, 2017. The implementation of the activities started on January 15, 2017.
- The project implementation period is 28 months and 23 days (01/15/2017 - 06/06/2020).
- The project is funded by EU and co-funded by the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs in the total value of 10%.
- The grant beneficiaries are the National Employment Service (NES) and the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs (MoLEVSA), while the final beneficiaries are the more employable persons on the NES register in accordance with the National Action Employment Plan (NAEP) for the current year.
- The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the efficient and effective matching of labour market supply and demand and the overall functioning of the labour market. The NES Employment Program, which consists of 4 active employment policy measures covered by the project, is supported through a direct grant. The project is intended for hard-to-employ persons from the NES register.
- The activities to be implemented and financed from the project funds are:
- Training Programme at Employer’s Request - The Training Programme at Employer’s Request is implemented to acquire the knowledge and skills required to perform work tasks in a specific workplace, at the request of the employer. It is expected the inclusion of at least 800 persons in the training at employer’s request.
- Job Creation Subsidies – These subsidies are granted to employers from the private sector in the form of a lump-sum payment for employment of hard-to-employ persons. It is expected the creation of at least 1000 new jobs through awarded job creation subsidies
- Self-Employment Subsidies – These subsidies are granted to unemployed persons for starting a store, a cooperative or any other form of entrepreneurial venture, as well as for establishing an enterprise on condition that the founder is employed with that enterprise. At least 1050 people are expected to be included in the self-employment subsidy programme.
- Training in Response to Labour Market Needs - Within this activity, training for welders with certification will be organised and conducted. At least 175 people are expected to be included in the training
Measure 2 is related to Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction of Vulnerable and Multiply Disadvantaged Groups with Particular Emphasis on Children, the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Income Support Users with the purpose to contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth for the Republic of Serbia by building a more knowledgeable and skilled labour force, improving social protection policies and promoting the social inclusion of vulnerable populations, enabling greater opportunities for a better standard of living in alignment with the targets set forth by the Europe 2020 Strategy as well as to advance social inclusion and reintegration of marginalized and vulnerable populations through enhancing education and social welfare measures and effective community services, with particular focus on drop-out reduction, family care and access to justice for children. The project planned value within the Measure 1 was EUR 6,200,000.00, and 2 projects are being implemented:
- „Support to the Development of Social Welfare Regulatory Mechanisms” – Technical assistance (Service contract)
- „Development of Effective Community Services in the Area of Education and Social Welfare at the Local Level” (Grant scheme)
Service contract
„Support to the Development of Social Welfare Regulatory Mechanisms”
- Technical Assistance is provided by a consortium NIRAS, PROMAN and KPMG.
- The project is managed by the Ministry of Finance - Department for Contracting and Financing of EU Funded Programmes (CFCU) - Contracting Authority. The main Beneficiary is the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs (MoLEVSA).
- The project value is EUR 891,500.00. The Technical Assistance Implementation Contract was signed on June 6, 2017 and the project implementation started on June 19, 2017.
- The project implementation period is 34 months (19/06/2017 - 19/04/2020).
- The project is funded by EU and co-funded by the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs in the total value of 10%.
- The overall objective is to contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and development of the Republic of Serbia through initiation of activities that reduce inequalities and strengthen social protection, cohesion, inclusion, economy and employment, in alignment with the targets set forth by the Europe 2020 Strategy, and with tangible outcomes for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in Serbia.
- The purpose of the project is to provide technical support to the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs in the implementation of 30 grant contracts under the Grant Scheme "Development of the Effective Community Services in the Area of Education and Social Welfare at the Local Level” by building the capacities of Ministry and IPA Unit through the Component 1. The Component 2 envisages support to Grant beneficiaries in developing appropriate procedural, administrative and budgetary mechanisms to ensure the full financial sustainability of the services they will provide. The Technical Assistance supports the Ministry in designing the methodology for the piloting of innovative instruments within the regulatory framework of social protection in Serbia, including the development the Social Welfare Strategy 2019-2025 and the relevant Action Plan through Component 3.
Grant contract - Grant scheme
„Development of Effective Community Services in the Area of Education and Social Welfare at the Local Level”
- Under the Grant contract „Development of Effective Community Services in the Area of Education and Social Welfare at the Local Level”, the European Union and the Government of the Republic of Serbia have awarded 30 grants (projects) to the municipalities and NGOs, with a total value of EUR 5,252,596.00.
- Grant scheme included 3-lots:
- Lot 1: Establishment, improvement and/or sustainment of (standard or innovative) community-based social services, which enable social protection, inclusion and independent living of the most vulnerable groups in Serbia, where explicit, but not exclusive focus, is given on continuation of the deinstitutionalisation of adults with mental or intellectual difficulties, through a special sub-priority. Within Lot 1, 24 grant contracts are being implemented.
- Lot 2: Establishing and strengthening of social business initiatives that promote social entrepreneurship. Within Lot 2, 3 grant contracts are being implemented.
- Lot 3: Supporting inter-sectoral measures designed and implemented at local level for decreasing early school leaving, preventing drop-out and increasing educational attainment. Within Lot 3, 3 grant contracts are being implemented.
- The implementation period is 12 – 24 months, starting from June 06,2017.
- The project is funded by EU and co-funded by the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs in the total value of 10%.
- The overall objective is support to the most vulnerable groups in Serbia and empower social welfare in Republic of Serbia.
IPA 2014
Action IPA Program for the Republic of Serbia for 2014, Action No. 9: „Youth Employability and Active Inclusion” – IPA 2014:
Within Results 1, two contracts with a total value of EUR 4,666,014.11 are being implemented:
1. Service contract „Technical Assistance to Support Social Inclusion of Youth through Innovative, Integrated and Tailored Services”, value: EUR 596,800.00, implementation period: 28 months (18/02/2019 - 18/06/2021).
2. Grant contract - Grant scheme „Development of innovative, integrated youth tailored services and active inclusion models”, 24 grant contracts with a total value of 4,069,214.11 are implemented; implementation period: from 15 to 24 months, starting from 24/12/2018.
Within Result 3, is implemented:
1. Twinning contract „Support and Improvement of Occupational Safety and Health and Labour Inspection in the Republic of Serbia”, value: EUR 1,500,000.00; implementation period: 24 months (22/02/2019 - 21/02/2021).
Project: „European Union Support to Active Youth Inclusion”
- The project „European Union Support to Active Youth Involvement”, with a total value of EUR 4.7 million, is funded by the European Union under the Action IPA Programme for the Republic of Serbia (IPA 2014) and co-funded by the Government of the Republic of Serbia through the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
- The project is managed by the Ministry of Finance - Department for Contracting and Financing of EU Funded Programmes (CFCU) - Contracting Authority. Project is implemented by the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, the main Beneficiary Institution in cooperation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The Final Beneficiaries of the project are citizens of Serbia - youth and vulnerable and/or disadvantaged groups.
- The project aims to ensure greater social inclusion of young in Serbia by increasing employment, especially of young through enhancing: youth activity, early acquisition of work experience and entrepreneurship practices and activation of social policy and welfare beneficiaries.
- The project is implemented through 2 contracts:
- Service contract „Technical Assistance to Support Social Inclusion of Youth through Innovative, Integrated and Tailored Services”
- Grant contract „Development of innovative, integrated youth tailored services and active inclusion models”.
Service contract
„Technical Assistance to Support Social Inclusion of Youth
through Innovative, Integrated and Tailored Services”
- Technical Assistance is provided by a consortium of Eptisa Southeast Europe d.o.o. (SR) and EPTISA Servicios de Ingenieria SL (ES), and it includes support in the Grant Scheme implementation, as well as activities related to active youth inclusion.
- The project value is EUR 596,800.00. The Technical Assistance implementation Contract was signed on December 23, 2018. The project implementation period is 28 months (18/02/2019 - 18/06/2021).
- The project is funded by EU and co-funded by the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs in the total value of 10%.
- The overall objective is to increase employment especially of youth through enhancing: youth activity, early acquisition of work experience and entrepreneurship practices and activation of social policy and welfare beneficiaries.
- The purpose of the project:
- To provide technical assistance to the Beneficiary Institutions (Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, as the main Beneficiary Institution and Ministry of Youth and Sports, as the secondary Beneficiary Institution and the Contracting Authority (Ministry of Finance, Department for Contracting and Financing of EU Funded
- Programmes – CFCU) in the management of Grant Scheme „Development of innovative, integrated youth tailored services and active inclusion models”, in an effective and timely manner;
- To strengthen capacities of local grant beneficiaries in managing of EU funded projects thus ensuring successful implementation of youth employment initiatives and active inclusion mechanisms and models;
- To support effective youth employment and employability and active inclusion policy development based on the results from awarded grant projects.
- The Technical Assistance project is implemented through 4 components:
- Component 1: Technical assistance to the Beneficiary Institutions (including the Contracting Authority) in the management of Grant Scheme;
- Component 2: Strengthening capacities of local grant beneficiaries in managing of EU funded projects;
- Component 3: Support to effective policy development based on the transfer of the results from funded projects;
- Component 4: Cross-cutting activities (activities related to all 3 components, dissemination of results, visibility in line with EU rules).
Grant Contract – Grant Scheme
„Development of innovative, integrated youth tailored services and active inclusion models”
- Under the Grant contract „Development of innovative, integrated youth tailored services and active inclusion models“, the European Union and the Government of the Republic of Serbia have awarded 24 grants (projects), with a total value of EUR 4,069,214.11.
- Grant scheme includes two lots:
- Lot 1: Youth Employability, under which 12 projects are approved, with a total value of EUR 2,190,778.46. This lot is focused on social innovation in youth employability, emphasizing the cross sectoral cooperation in order to deliver the sustainable solutions addressing the needs of youth.
- Lot 2: Active Inclusion, under which 12 projects are approved, with a total value of EUR 1,878,435.65. This lot address implementation of the active inclusion measures in Serbia targeting different disadvantaged groups, mainly social welfare beneficiaries by implementing activation mix packages and promoting inter-sectoral cooperation at all levels
- The implementation period of projects within Grant Scheme is from 15 to 24 months, starting on December 24, 2018.
- The project is funded by EU and co-funded by the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs in the total value of (5%) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (5%).
- The global objective is to foster a high-employment economy cohesion through the implementation of the Employment and Social Reform Programme priorities.
- The specific objective is to increase employment through enhancing youth activity, early acquisition of work experience and entrepreneurship practices and activation of social welfare beneficiaries.
- The expected result is promotion and improvement of youth employability, which should result in the establishment and implementation of innovative integrated youth tailored services, as well as the implementation of active inclusion models and packages.
- Projects under the grant scheme will be implemented by local self-government units, civil society organizations (non-governmental organizations, citizens' associations, etc.), social welfare institutions, social work centres, foundations and educational institutions.
Twinning project
„Support and Improvement of Occupational Safety and Health and Labour Inspection in the Republic of Serbia”
- Twinning project „Support and Improvement of Occupational Safety and Health and Labour Inspection in the Republic of Serbia” with a total value of EUR 1,500,000.00 is funded by the European Union under the Action IPA Programme for the Republic of Serbia (IPA 2014).
- The project is managed by the Ministry of Finance - Department for Contracting and Financing of EU Funded Programmes (CFCU).
- The project is implemented by a Slovak-Czech consortium. Twinning partners (Member States) are The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic (Lead Partner), State Labour Inspection Office, Czech Republic (Junior Partner) and Regional Development Agency SP, Slovak Republic (Back stopping body).
- The Final Beneficiary of the project is the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, while the End Recipient are the Occupational Safety and Health Directorate and the Labour Inspectorate.
- The project implementation period is 24 months (22/02/2019 - 21/02/2021), and duration of the execution period is 27 months. The contract was signed on 21/12/2018.
- The overall objective of the project is improving occupational safety and health (OSH) in the Republic of Serbia.
- The specific objectives:
- Labour inspection capacities strengthened by upgrading labour inspectors’ professional competences for the inspection of compliance with occupational safety and health laws and regulations, and labour inspection activities streamlined and standardized on the basis of newly established procedures, standards and methods of work.
- Preparation of a transparent and functional specific insurance against injuries at work and occupational diseases completed by devising financial facilities to fund prevention from injuries at work and occupational diseases (separating expenses for injuries at work from those for occupational diseases and singling out both respectively from the pool of benefits based on health insurance and pension and disability insurance), occupational health care to strengthen the role of occupational health services (the enhancement of legal framework to include transposed Directive 89/391/EES) and creating conditions to put in place a model of an (information) system of statistics on injuries at work and occupational diseases as per the European Methodology on Accidents at Work (ESAW).
- Results per component:
Component 1. Labour inspection capacity strengthening
- Result 1.1: Labour inspectors’ expertise on inspection of compliance with occupational safety and health requirements enhanced, and a system of continuous education in place.
- Result 1.2: Labour inspection operations enhanced and standardized and a strategic multi-annual plan of activities of labour inspection developed.
Component 2. Legal framework of insurance against injury at work occupational safety and health under the health insurance and pension and disability insurance systems and occupational safety and health upgraded
- Result 2.1: Legal framework and registering insurance system against injuries at work and occupational diseases upgraded.
- Result 2.2: The role of the occupational health services strengthened.
IPA 2016
Programme: „EU Support to Roma Inclusion- Strengthening local communities towards Roma inclusion”
“EU Support to Roma Inclusion- Strengthening local communities towards Roma inclusion” with a total value of 4,200,000.00 EUR is funded by the EU and implemented by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM). The implementation period is 36 months (December 2017 - December 2020).
The Programme aims to improve and strengthen local communities towards Roma inclusion. The overall objective of the Programme is to support the ongoing process of improving the socio-economic position of the Roma population in local communities in Serbia and implement prioritised strategic measures from the Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma for the period 2016-2025.
About the Programme
The Programme is managed by the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia, Operations I - Human Resources' Development, Social inclusion and Minorities, whereas the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs is the beneficiary ministry. SCTM is the implementing partner and the beneficiary of the direct grant for the implementation of the action upon the Grant Contract – Direct Award Grant to the SCTM – EU Support to Roma Inclusion - Strengthening Local Communities towards Roma Inclusion.
In order to achieve sustainable and long-lasting results, the Programme team collaborates closely with respective partner ministries, local governments, non-governmental organizations and Roma civil society to strengthen cooperation at the local level.
The Programme is composed of three components:
COMPONENT 1: Establishment/improvement of local strategic, financial and institutional mechanisms
The objective of the Component 1 is to provide comprehensive support to LSGs with the improvement/development of local action plans (LAP) for Roma inclusion, establishment and operationality of local multi-sector policy coordination bodies and joint mobile units. Additionally, within this component, trainings, exchange of best practices and advisory support will be provided to all LSGs with Roma population in Serbia.
COMPONENT 2: Support to implementation of local measures for Roma inclusion (grant scheme).
The objective of Component 2 is to provide financial support on a local level through the grant scheme, for resolving local issues identified as priorities in line with Roma inclusion policies, LAPs and/or other local strategic/action planning documents ensuring effective implementation of grant scheme support.
COMPONENT 3: Support in legalization of housing units, development of urban plans and technical documentation for substandard Roma settlements.
The objective of Component 3 is to provide further support to LSGs in the field of spatial regularization of informal settlements and improvement of living conditions of Roma communities. Activities envisaged within the scope of this component will support the creation of urban planning, technical documentation and implementation of a regulatory framework for sustainable housing conditions of Roma communities in selected municipalities.
IPA 2018
Programme: "European Union Support to Social Housing and Active Inclusion"
The "European Union Support to Social Housing and Active Inclusion" Programme, funded by the European Union with EUR 20 million will be implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure and Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs. The final beneficiaries are local self-governments.
The implementation period is 36 months (01/12/2019 – 30/11/2022). The Agreement between the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia and UNOPS was signed in October 2019.
The overall objective: To contribute to increased social inclusion of the women and men, girls and boys experiencing poverty and social exclusion enabling them to live in dignity and take an active part in society.
The purpose: To improve living conditions for the most vulnerable women and men, girls and boys living in inadequate/insecure conditions in a sustainable and accountable manner to a better inclusion across Serbia.
There are three results that the Programme will achieve:
Result 1: Capacities of institutions/authorities/organisations providing housing and active inclusion services strengthened for effective and gender responsive planning and implementation of housing programmes and relevant support services
Result 2: Adequate housing solutions provided to most vulnerable women and men, girls and boys
Result 3: Job, social, education, health care services, complementary to housing solutions, provided to most vulnerable women and men, girls and boys
Results 1 and 2 are the responsibility of the Ministry of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure, while the result 3 is the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs.
CLOSED PROJECTS - IPA PROJECTS
IPA 2012
1. Support social inclusion of the most vulnerable groups, including Roma, through more diversified community-based social services (Grant Scheme)
Budget: EUR 5,000.000. The overall objective of the project is to support social inclusion polices and development of the range of community based social services for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups including Roma.
2. European Union Support to Inclusive Society – Technical assistance for grant management (Service contract).
Budget: EUR 1,500.000. The TA supported both the MoLEVSA and grant beneficiaries in grant management.
3. Increasing the effectiveness of employment policies towards disadvantaged groups (Direct Grant)
Budget: EUR 6,500.000. The contract awarded to the National Employment Service.
4. Technical Assistance to Support Direct Grant Management in the Field of Employment Policy (Service contract)
Budget: EUR 1,500.000
5. Promoting Social Dialogue (Twinning)
Budget: EUR 1,500.000