Representatives of the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP), who are implementing the project “Climate Smart Urban Development Challenge” together with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the support of the Global Environment Facility, have attended the March 13th Award Ceremony where EBRD’s (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) green innovation vouchers were awarded. Over 70 companies submitted their applications during the first call while the second call will be open to companies from March 13 to April 30 this year.

Green innovation vouchers, aimed toward the development of “green technologies” and strengthening the partnership between science and industry, were granted to ten Serbian companies from various fields of industry. The total value of the green vouchers is EUR 150,000.00 and their purpose is to cover 90 % of the companies’ costs incurred during the research and development of new products. With the help of the green innovation vouchers, small and medium-sized enterprises are given the opportunity to hire scientists from different faculties and institutes who will assist in the development of new products.

The Minister of Environmental Protection Goran Trivan, the Minister of Innovations and Technological Development Nenad Popović, the Director of EBRD in Serbia Daniel Berg and the Director of the EBRD’s Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Team Terry McCallion all addressed the attendants of the Green Innovation Vouchers’ Award Ceremony.