The Montenegrin Employment Service (ZZZ CG) has approved a new financing programme designed to support unemployed individuals with sustainable business plans, marking another effort to shift labour policy from passive support to active labour-market stimulation. The programme will distribute significant grant funding—estimated around €1.47 million—to individuals who propose viable micro-business concepts capable of generating long-term employment.
This initiative represents a strategic shift away from traditional labour-market interventions focused on job placement and wage subsidies. Instead, the government is promoting entrepreneurship as a mechanism for reducing structural unemployment, particularly in regions where seasonal work dominates and long-term job creation is limited. Officials argue that empowering unemployed persons to become employers themselves can help diversify local economies and foster self-sustaining growth.
The selection process prioritises business plans with clear financial projections, market analysis, and growth potential. Grants are intended to cover initial capital investment, equipment, training, and operational costs during the early phase of business formation. However, the long-term success of the programme will depend on follow-up support: mentoring, financial literacy training, and access to markets—all areas where previous entrepreneurship programmes suffered gaps.
Economists view the programme as a positive step but caution that entrepreneurship alone cannot resolve Montenegro’s structural labour challenges. High informality, limited access to private financing, and regional disparities continue to inhibit small-business development. Moreover, many unemployed individuals lack sufficient managerial skills or sectoral expertise to ensure the viability of new enterprises without sustained support.
Still, in the broader context of EU harmonisation, the programme aligns with European labour-activation policies that reward innovation, self-employment, and diversification. With careful implementation and oversight, Montenegro could unlock a new generation of locally rooted businesses that contribute to long-term employment stability.
