LAG Upper Svaneti - ადგილობრივი განვითარების ჯგუფი ზემო სვანეთი

What LAG Upper Svaneti - ადგილობრივი განვითარების ჯგუფი ზემო სვანეთი does

LAG Upper Svaneti (Upper Svaneti Local Action Group) is a non-profit civil society platform established in November 2019 in Mestia, Georgia, that implements the European Union LEADER approach for rural development in Mestia municipality. The organisation operates as a designated Local Action Group (LAG) under the EU ENPARD (European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development) programme, co-funded by Austrian Development Cooperation, with CARE Austria and PMC Research Center serving as implementing partners. Its governance structure consists of a General Assembly of approximately 115 members and a 19-member Managing Board democratically elected to represent all 17 administrative communities of Mestia municipality across civic, public, and private sectors, with women making up the majority of the board.

The organisation's core activities centre on competitive grant programmes, training and capacity building, and community engagement across Upper Svaneti's 17 communities. It runs multi-stage grant competitions for farming, non-farming, social, and non-commercial initiatives, supported the establishment of small enterprises in food processing, trout farming, non-timber forest products, textiles, and healthcare services, and has produced 11 training modules covering gender equality, agrotourism, social media, and crowdfunding. Territorial branding has emerged as a new strategic vertical, developed in collaboration with international partners including BAB Austria, Euromontana, and Bioherb. The organisation is supported by a six-person staff and disseminates strategic publications such as the Local Development Strategy (2022-2027) and the Organizational Development Strategy (2021-2023).

The business model is entirely grant-funded rather than commercial. LAG Upper Svaneti does not generate revenue from product or service sales; it receives programme funding from EU ENPARD and Austrian Development Cooperation channelled through CARE Austria, and re-distributes capital through grant competitions to local beneficiaries. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on direct grassroots engagement, a public website (mestialag.ge), a dedicated business portal (mestialagbusiness.ge), a Facebook page, and in-person events across all 17 administrative units. The revenue model is therefore categorised as professional services in the donor-funded sense, with sustainability dependent on continued EU and Austrian Development Cooperation programme cycles.

Name

LAG Upper Svaneti - ადგილობრივი განვითარების ჯგუფი ზემო სვანეთი

Legal name

ადგილობრივი განვითარების ჯგუფი ზემო სვანეთი (Upper Svaneti Local Action Group)

Website

https://mestialag.ge

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LAG Upper Svaneti is a non-profit civil society platform implementing the EU LEADER approach in Mestia municipality, Georgia, distributing EU ENPARD grants and delivering training and capacity-building services across 17 rural communities in Upper Svaneti.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)

Keywords

• Rural development services
• Community development grants
• Local action group
• Capacity building programs
• LEADER approach implementation

Headquarters

HQ city

Mestia

HQ country

Georgia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grant-based funding: LAG Upper Svaneti does not generate commercial revenue. It operates as a recipient and distributor of international development funding, primarily through the EU ENPARD program and Austrian Development Cooperation, to support rural development initiatives in Mestia municipality.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LAG Upper Svaneti is a non-profit civil society organization that implements the European Union LEADER approach in Mestia municipality, Georgia. It runs EU-funded grant competitions, provides capacity-building training, and supports rural economic development initiatives across all 17 administrative communities of Upper Svaneti. The organization mobilizes local civic action and channels international donor funding (primarily EU ENPARD and Austrian Development Cooperation) to support farming, non-farming commercial, and social initiatives in high-mountainous regions.

Product overview

LAG Upper Svaneti operates as a rural development organization implementing the EU's LEADER approach in Mestia municipality, Georgia. The organization offers a suite of services centered around a website portal (mestialag.ge) and a dedicated business portal (mestialagbusiness.ge). Core offerings include grant competition management for rural development projects, training and capacity building services delivered by trained LAG members, and dissemination of strategic publications. The organization functions as a civil platform bringing together public, private, and civic sectors to develop and implement local development strategies across Upper Svaneti's 17 communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grant Competition Program
• Training and Capacity Building Services
• Rural Development Initiatives
• Publications and Strategic Documents

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core, major and minor.

• Federal Institute for Agriculture Economics (BAB Austria)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 August 2021International partner participating in territorial branding workshop organized by CARE Austria. Provides conceptual background and practical experience on territorial branding for mountain regions.
• Euromontana (European Association of Mountain Areas)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 August 2021International partner participating in territorial branding workshop. Contributes expertise on mountain region development and territorial branding experiences from EU countries.
• BioherbsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 August 2021International partner from Germany participating in territorial branding workshop, contributing insights on organic farming and tourism development potential.
• CARE Austria (CARE Österreich)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCARE Austria is the primary implementing partner of the ENPARD project 'Implementing LEADER in Mestia municipality for better livelihoods in high mountainous regions of Georgia'. They provide project management, technical expertise, and coordinate grant distribution activities.
• PMC Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPMC Research Center is a partner in implementing the ENPARD project, providing research and analytical support for rural development initiatives in Upper Svaneti. They work alongside CARE Austria in project implementation.
• Mestia Municipality Mayor's OfficemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner that co-finances community infrastructure projects with LAG Upper Svaneti. Signed tripartite memorandum of cooperation on July 10, 2020 to ensure joint, timely, efficient, and transparent implementation of community projects.
• Tsalka LAGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Action Group from Tsalka municipality hosted by LAG Upper Svaneti for knowledge exchange and experience sharing between the two LAGs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Euromontana: European multisectoral association for mountain areas that partnered with LAG Upper Svaneti for a territorial branding workshop. Comparable as a broader umbrella organization advancing sustainable development in European mountain regions.
• Mercy Corps Georgia: International humanitarian and rural development organization with active programming in rural Georgia, including livelihoods and economic development initiatives. Comparable as a donor-funded NGO working on community-driven economic empowerment in similar Georgian regions.
• CARE International in the Caucasus: CARE Austria is the primary implementing partner for LAG Upper Svaneti under ENPARD III, providing project management, technical expertise and grant coordination. Comparable as a broader rural-development and poverty-alleviation operator active in the same Georgian regions and donor-funded ecosystem.
• UNDP Georgia: UN agency supporting local development, governance and community resilience programmes across Georgia, including in mountainous regions. Comparable as an institutional donor/implementer that funds and operates LEADER-style rural development and community empowerment initiatives.
• Austrian Development Cooperation: Co-financier of the ENPARD programme in Georgia and a major bilateral donor supporting rural development projects in high-mountainous regions. Comparable as a broader institutional donor with overlapping objectives in community empowerment, rural livelihoods and infrastructure.

Others

• Georgian Rural Development Association: National-level membership association focused on rural development policy and capacity building in Georgia. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem organization supporting rural civil society and providing a coordinating platform for grassroots development actors across the country.

Regional players

• PMC Research Center: Georgian research and policy organization partnering with LAG Upper Svaneti on ENPARD implementation. Comparable as a regional actor providing research, analytical support and policy advisory in rural development and economic governance in Georgia.
• Lagodekhi Local Action Group: Another Georgian LAG established under the ENPARD programme operating in the Kakheti region. Directly comparable as a peer LEADER-approach civil platform delivering grant programmes and local development strategy in a different Georgian geography.
• Borjomi Local Action Group: Georgian LAG active under ENPARD in the Borjomi region, focused on rural economic development and tourism. Comparable as a peer civil society platform implementing EU LEADER methodology with grant competitions for local SMEs and social initiatives.

Direct peers

• Tsalka LAG: Another Local Action Group in Georgia implementing the EU LEADER approach under the ENPARD programme. Tsalka LAG is directly comparable as a peer civil-society platform delivering grant competitions and rural development initiatives, and has engaged in formal knowledge exchange with LAG Upper Svaneti.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mestia.LAG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lagmestia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about LAG Upper Svaneti - ადგილობრივი განვითარების ჯგუფი ზემო სვანეთი