Keda LAG, is starting a new project: Connectivity and Mobility for Fostering Rural Resilience.

The project is financed by the EU ENPARD III programme and supported by UNDP’s initiative Smart Villages.

The covid-19 pandemic has posed serious threats and challenges to the business sector, particularly small and medium sized businesses in the tourism and agriculture sectors.

In response to the setbacks created by the global pandemic, Keda LAG developed an innovative project which aims to strengthen local businesses by supporting them in networking, connectivity, and in marketing local products and services both within and outside of the municipality.

As part of the project, an interactive bilingual online platform will be established that includes detailed information regarding local businesses in the tourism, agriculture, and non-agriculture sectors. Various service providers will also appear on the portal. Each business will have a profile with a detailed description of the products and services they offer to customers.

The platform will connect local businesses and facilitate their networking capabilities, allowing for the mutual strengthening and marketing of their products/services outside the municipality.

The platform will also incorporate a News Section concerning new opportunities in different sectors and prodive updates on new regulations, including those related to COVID-19.

An important aspect of the project will be the strengthening the digital and business skills of the local businesses in terms of the following topics: operating online platforms, online services, modern smart technologies, and online marketing. In addition, business skills trainings will include topics that help to build participants’ understand of management and economics in order to ensure the effective operation of their businesses.

The project will work to brand local services and products for a broader market and to make them more attractive for consumers. Furthermore, in order to support the marketing of the tourism potential of the municipality, there are plans to install an interactive display in two significant villages of the municipality – Makhuntseti, a popular tourist destination, and Vaio, which is part of the Georgian wine route. The interactive displays will be synchronized with the online platform.

Keda LAG was founded in 2017 with the support of EU ENPARD program and CENN. The organization is a local non-profit (non-commercial) legal entity and is composed of representatives from the private, public, and civic sectors. Keda LAG aims to support rural development and implements the following activities: identifying socio-economic development strategy for the community, developing and implementing, and supporting local projects in all sectors through grants.