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In Nevyansk, the Citi Foundation Improving Communities Right Now Program Managed by the Fund for Sustainable Development is Beginning Its Activities

On May 5, In Nevyansk, a targeted contest of business projects developed by representatives of local small businesses who had attended a two-week seminar “Start Your Own Business” was announced by the Citi Foundation Improving Communities Right Now Program. The last day of proposal submission is May 29, and on July 1, the winner projects will be launched. The budget of this targeted contest is 135,000 rubles.

In early May, a representative of the Fund for Sustainable Development (FSD) conducted a proposal-writing training for 20 prospective entrepreneurs, participants in the “Start Your Own Business” seminar, who are in the process of preparing proposals for the funding of their business initiatives.

During meetings and consultations conducted as part of project activities, the seminar attendees (an architect, university instructor, pensioner, electrical engineer, economist and unemployed) answered the question “What have you gained professionally and personally from the “Start Your Own Business” training?”

All seminar attendees presented papers devoted to the question “Why I Want to Become an Entrepreneur” in which the key motivations included becoming an owner of an independent business, providing for a decent life for one’s family and bettering one’s city. All participants noted the effectiveness of interactive training and the importance of the received knowledge for developing their business ideas, which by the end of training will be presented in the form of business plans in such areas as agriculture, folk arts and crafts items production and rural tourism development. The best proposals will be submitted for the targeted contest.

During the site visit of the FSD representative, the coordination between the CITI Foundation program in Nevyansk and the regional government program “Start Your Own Business” was discussed. According to O.Frolova, director of Nevyansk Small Business Support Fund, which is a partner of the CITI program), and A.Balashov, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, the  Improving Communities Right Now Program is making a weighty contribution to the self-employment program and the general development of local self-government in Nevyansk.