LAG Tskaltubo announces the results of the EU-supported rural development grant competition

A total of 20 local development project proposals were selected out of 134 applications submitted to the EU-funded rural development grant competition announced by Local Action Group (LAG) in Tskaltubo in October 2020. Among the winning projects 14 are from agriculture and business development, 5 from the public sector, and 1 is a local community initiative.

The first round of the rural development grant competition was carried out within the framework of the EU-funded ENPARD project “Local Action Group (LAG) Tskaltubo”, implemented by Non-Governmental Organization People in Need (PIN).

The projects supported in the area of agriculture include greenhouses in the villages of Gvishtibi, Maghlaki, Geguti and Opshkviti. The newly enhanced businesses will offer new products to customers, such as: lettuce, arugula and dessert grapes. In addition, a chicken farm in Tskaltubo town was equipped with modern facilities to improve the quality and quantity of their production.

Several business projects aim at the development of tourism and related services. These are three guesthouses in the town of Tskaltubo and the village of Khomuli, as well as the adventure and camping space "Three Elements" in the village of Gumati. Also, speleo tourism attraction will be created in Tskaltubo with the implementation of the “White Cave Rehabilitation” project, where spaces will be arranged for both treatment and relaxation. In addition, the LAG provided funding for a handicraft enterprise “the Batik Workshop” and “Bikers Club” to facilitate the development of tourism-related products and services. Furthermore, to help develop the service sector in Tskaltubo Municipality, the Tskaltubo LAG supported a project proposal aiming to improve the quality of accounting services available to local small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

One community project was also selected for funding, in the framework of which table tennis equipment will be installed in the Tskaltubo Central Park, providing family and youth entertainment and increasing footfall to other local businesses.

As for the selected public projects, they will provide the following benefits to residents of the municipality: a library will be arranged in Sachkhere village public school, which will support the education of young people living in local mountainous villages. Two public schools in Tskaltubo (Public school N.3 and N.4) will set up a music club and a mini cinema to conduct educational activities. Moreover, Tskaltubo Municipality Cultural Center will purchase a minibus with project support and will offer a mobile club service to the locals, and organize various types of creative events in the villages. Also, as part of the grants competition, the Children Inclusive Center will purchase adapted vehicles to provide day care services for children with disabilities.

Please view the selected sub-projects.  

By the spring of 2021, the Tskaltubo LAG will announce another round of the grants competition to support project ideas that will further contribute to the development of Tskaltubo Municipality.

The EU-supported ENPARD project is implemented by PIN in partnership with the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA), with the additional financial support of the Czech Development Agency. The aim of the project is to improve socio-economic conditions of the local population in Tskaltubo Municipality, promoting diversification of the economy, and increasing access to basic social services by supporting projects that are in line with the priorities and objectives of the Tskaltubo Local Development Strategy (LDS).