The European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have announced that eight Georgian municipalities will receive targeted support under the EU-funded regional initiative ‘Mayors for Economic Growth’.
M4EG aims to make cities and towns more attractive for people and investments.
Batumi and Kutaisi will receive €225,000 each to design and activate a municipal transformation portfolio.
Poti, Rustavi, Samtredia and Tskaltubo will undergo a mentoring and learning journey called ‘Urban Imaginaries’ with the potential to receive a seed fund of €60,000 per municipality for innovative development projects.
Two more municipalities – Bolnisi and Oni – will receive direct support from the EU Delegation to Georgia to implement economic and business development initiatives. Bolnisi will expand its municipal business model, and Oni will develop local business clusters to attract investments.
“Georgia’s regions have a lot of untapped potential. Our ‘Mayors for Economic Growth’ facility helps unlock and explore these opportunities. Through this regional initiative, the EU will assist municipalities to move ahead after the pandemic, discover new ways for economic and social development, and benefit from the experience accumulated in the EU Member States,” said EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell.
The Mayors for Economic Growth Facility is part of the M4EG initiative, launched and funded by the European Union and implemented by the UNDP.
