Frequently Asked Questions

The public call for the Self-employment Programme for People with Disabilities will be announced in the second half of February 2015. The public call will be opened for thirty (30) working days.
The public call will also be announced on the web sites of ESARM and the MLSP (www.avrm.gov.mk; www.samovrabotuvanje.mk and www.mtsp.gov.mk), as well as on the bulletin board of the ESARM.
The second public call is planned for May 2015.

Every unemployed person with disability capable of working, who is registered as an active job seeker for at least one (1) day before the day when the call is announced.
Active job seekers are unemployed persons who report to the employment service centres of the ESARM every month.

For more detailed information address the people responsible for the Self-employment Programme at the competent employment service centres around the country.
A list of the employees at the employment service centres of the ESARM is available on: http://www.avrm.gov.mk/content/pdf/SPISOKZAVRABOTENI.pdf

All parties interested in the programme may apply in two ways: directly at the local Employment Service Centre (there are 30 such centres around the country) where the individuals are registered.

NO. The Self-employment Programme is available to all registered unemployed persons, who at the moment of application are not being registered in the Trade Register of the Central Register as founders i.e. owners of companies.

All interested unemployed persons – active job seekers that will apply for the Self-employment Programme for People with Disabilities while the call is open should apply at the competent Employment Service Centre of the ESCRM and fill in an application with the assistance of the trained employees at the Employment Service Centre.
Afterwards the applicants are called in for an interview at the Employment Service Centre where they will be familiarised with all the details about the Programme. After the familiarisation with all their rights and obligations as well as all the benefits that the Programme offers the interested parties fill in an application form.

The candidates interested in the Programme could prepare better for filling in the questionnaire in the following manner:

– Taking part in the familiarisation workshops at the competent Employment Service Centre. You can find out about the location and the time of these workshops from the person responsible for the Self-employment Programme at the Employment Service Centre.
– Individual preparations by using the Manual for recognising and developing entrepreneurial capabilities and know-how among the applicants of the Self-employment Programme for People with Disabilities, as well as other publications in the field of entrepreneurship that are available at the Self-employment’s web site (www.samovrabotuvanje.mk) . All the materials have been adapted adequately to the needs of the persons with disabilities.

After the initial selection of participants each candidate will be given a possibility to choose a mentor from the list of selected mentors that in a period of 12 months will intensively collaborate and advise the programme participants. The role of the mentor will consist of providing individual approach in working with individuals with disabilities in the entire process and especially on their motivation and psychosocial support.
The mentor after the trainings will give an opinion about the candidates’ capabilities to start their own businesses. This opinion will be taken into consideration by the Commission selecting the Programme’s candidates during the businesses evaluation.
The list of mentors to participate in the pilot programme will be selected based on their qualifications.

Depending on the findings from the individual interviews of the persons conducted by the specialised employees at the Employment Service Centre, the persons with disabilities could attend:
– A soft skills training (Developing communication and presentation skills, English language, computer skills, etc.)
For all the candidates it is mandatory to attend:
– Entrepreneurship and business planning training. Its purpose is to improve the working capabilities of the participants and to develop their individual capabilities for entrepreneurship and starting a business.

The training will be organised at the work clubs at the Employment Service Centres.
All the trainings will be adapted adequately to the needs of the persons with disabilities.

After the finalisation of the trainings of each cycle a list of successful business ideas will be made public on the bulletin board of the Employment Service Centre, as well as on the web site of the ESARM. In parallel, the specialised employees at the Employment Service Centre should also inform the candidates.

After completing the training the candidate in close cooperation with the mentor will submit a business plan that will provide clear directions about the business s/he plans to start.

The evaluation of the submitted business plans is being implemented by the Expert Commission for micro loans.

After the evaluation and the selection of the best mini business plans the list of the most successful candidates will be made public on the bulletin board of the Employment Service Centre that is competent for the given candidate, as well as on ESARM’s web sites: www.avrm.gov.mk and www.samovrabotuvanje.mk.

Yes. If the candidate is not satisfied with the Commission’s evaluation s/he has a right to appeal it in writing to the competent centre of the ESARM within 5 days.

The business idea already developed during the trainings cannot be modified in the follow up phases of the project.
The Programme participants who are supported and in coordination with the mentors, in the course of the planned training for developing a business idea will have a chance to make a decision about the business they would like to manage.

• The registered business that is supported with this Programme if after the end of the first six (6) months from the business’ registration fails to make any financial transactions (i.e. to pay the gross salary) through the Public Revenue Office, the Employment Service Agency of the Republic of Macedonia sends a warning letter to the company stating inactivity. If after the end of three months since the day the warning is delivered the person – the grant beneficiary still fails to make any financial transactions to the Public Revenue Office, the Employment Service Agency of the Republic of Macedonia initiates a procedure for repayment of the grant money.

• The persons who in the course of the project cycle submit business plans, which are successfully evaluated, but they decide not to participate further, before the grant funds are used are not subject to any sanctions.

• If the person – the grant beneficiary stops working (his/her employment is terminated) before the end of the first (1) that is the second (2) year from the date of business’ registration and s/he is not replaced by another person from the same target group, the founder of the company is obligated within 12 months time to repay:
− 80% of the funds used for procuring the equipment and/or the materials, or
− 60% of the funds used for procuring the equipment and/or the materials if s/he stops working (his/her employment is terminated) before the end of the second year from the date of business’ registration.

No. According the Programme’s terms the grant money can be used solely for procuring equipment or materials / raw materials in compliance with the business plan which is part of the Agreement.

The Grant amount is MKD 270,000 for procuring equipment and/or materials in compliance with the specifications of the approved business plan which is incorporated in the Agreement.

Yes, you could. The procurements are performed in compliance with the specifications in the business plan, which is part of the Agreement.
Depending on the change, you should submit a request for making changes in the equipment or material procurement, and it should be in compliance with the objectives and aimed at implementing the given business plan, and following a specifically provisioned procedure changes could be introduced in the procurement of equipment/materials.

In compliance with the Programme’s terms the grant money could be used for procuring equipment and/or materials in compliance with the specification of the approved business plan which is incorporated in the Agreement.

Yes. The deadline for spending the money will be established in cooperation with the ESC and the UNDP’s Monitoring Coordinator. Still every Programme’s participant should have in mind that the grant funds should be used as soon as possible after signing the Agreement.

No. In compliance with the programme’s terms the grant funds could be used solely for procuring equipment and/or materials.

After signing the Agreement for the grant the beneficiary could start implementing the procurement of the planned equipment and/or materials.