Budva is allocating €280,000 to women-led businesses, young entrepreneurs and crafts, part of an effort to broaden a local economy dominated by tourism and property.
The municipality has set aside €150,000 for women-owned businesses and another €130,000 for crafts and young entrepreneurs.
Women can receive up to €30,000 per approved business idea, while the youth and crafts programme offers grants of as much as €26,000.
Funding can be used for equipment, tools, materials, specialist training and promotion.
The programme is small compared with Budva’s tourism and real-estate economy, but it targets a different part of the market: microbusinesses, self-employment, local services and small-scale production.
That matters because many early-stage businesses struggle to access conventional bank financing without collateral or established revenue.
Municipal grants can therefore provide startup capital for businesses that might otherwise remain informal or fail to launch.
The crafts and youth allocation is also higher than the €100,000 provided for the equivalent programme in 2025, indicating a larger municipal role in supporting small enterprises.
Potential beneficiaries range from artisans and repair businesses to small manufacturers, creative services and locally owned professional firms.
The economic impact will depend on whether the grants create sustainable companies rather than temporary self-employment.
That makes follow-up important.
Businesses receiving support need access to accounting, digital marketing, e-commerce and mentoring if they are to grow beyond the initial grant period.
The programmes also create a modest secondary market for business advisers, trainers, equipment suppliers and professional-service providers serving grant recipients.
Applications for the crafts and youth programme close on Oct. 6, while the women’s entrepreneurship programme remains open until Oct. 21.
For Budva, the initiative represents a different approach to diversification.
Instead of relying only on large external investments, the municipality is putting public money into smaller locally owned businesses that could widen the economy beyond seasonal tourism.
