Small Business Expansion Project Quarterly Report 2 — FY2016: January – March 2016

The program utilizes a bottom-up approach, where local action groups (LAGs) are established to develop and implement public-private initiatives based on jointly created local development strategies. The LAGs are crucial in building bridges of cooperation and strengthening the rural economy. Representatives from all ten pre-LAGs established within SBEP's EU LEADER initiative met for the first time on February 17 to discuss mutual cooperation. As a result, they signed a Memorandum of Cooperation and agreed upon joint activities. The pre-LAGs from the Vardar region held their Founding Assemblies and elected members of the groups' managing bodies. The official registration at the Central Register will take place next month. In the North-East and Pelagonija regions, the pre-LAGs have been working on the implementation of their respective pilot projects. In the North-East region, the pilot project conducted in cooperation with the pre-LAG Aber 2015 and the Kumanovo Museum focused on the development of a new official website for Kokino as a tourist destination. Field work will follow in terms of putting up renovated information boards, signposts, and a fence to protect portions of the site from trespassing. The pre-LAG Osogovski lisec in the North-East region has been working on identifying quality materials and content for the Discover Osogovo website, which will comprise useful information about the tourist offer of the Osogovo region. In addition to meeting with municipal officials from Kriva Palanka and Kratovo, the pre-LAG representatives and SBEP approached a few tour guides from the region, who will be potentially engaged to develop some of the content for the website. In Pelagonija, the three pre-LAGs have finalized the development of their pilot project proposals and started implementation. The pre-LAGs have also been working on organizing LAG fairs for each region, with the Polog and Pelagonija regions scheduled for April and the North-East and Vardar regions planned for May. These events will help the pre-LAGs work on their capacities to pull resources and stakeholders together. The EU LEADER program is vital for the rural development of the country, and the model of creating Local Action Groups is a crucial element in building bridges of cooperation and developing public-private initiatives based on jointly created local development strategies. The program should be a priority for the country's development strategy policies, as it strengthens the rural economy and promotes rural development. The pre-LAGs have been working on their planned activities, with the Vardar region holding its Founding Assemblies and the Polog region preparing for organizing the Founding Assemblies of the two pre-LAGs. The pre-LAGs have also been working on their respective pilot projects, with the North-East and Pelagonija regions making progress in implementing their projects. The SBEP has been supporting the pre-LAGs in their efforts, providing guidance and resources to help them achieve their goals. The EU LEADER initiative has made significant progress in promoting rural development in Macedonia, with the pre-LAGs working together to develop and implement public-private initiatives based on jointly created local development strategies. The program has the potential to strengthen the rural economy and promote rural development, making it a crucial element in the country's development strategy policies.