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The Newsletter to Support the Western Balkans’ Knowledge Societies and Ecosystems
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Updates from the Western Balkans
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Select the Economy to Explore Further
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Current Theme in Focus
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Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management |
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Launch of the Western Balkans Regional Innovation Academy |
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Highlights
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Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management |
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News
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| Use the ECs Dashboard to Learn which SMEs from the Western Balkans Received EU Funding | |  |
| | EU Guarantees to Unlock €750 Million for Small Businesses in the Western Balkans | | |
| | European Commission Concludes Public Consultation on the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy | | |
| | Participate in a Consultation by the European Commission on the Upcoming EU Funding Period | | |
| | Second Conference on Entrepreneurship and Start-up Development Held in Pljevlja | | |
| | Fourth Cycle of the Social Impact Award Programme Officially Launched in Montenegro | | |
| | Awards Presented to the Most Outstanding Scientists in Montenegro | | |
| | The Third Call of the “Challenge Fund” in Albania, EU4Innovation Support for new Entrepreneurs | | |
| | EIT Community RIS Hub North Macedonia Supports Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Startups | | |
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Calls
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European Innovation Council: EIC Pathfinder Open Deadline: 21 May 2025
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| European Innovation Council: EIC Transition 2025 Deadline: 17 September 2025
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| European Innovation Council: EIC STEP Scale Up Deadline: 16 December 2025
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| Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs – a Unique Opportunity for Youth and Entrepreneurs Deadline: 31 December 2025
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Events
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| Regional Knowledge Exhange: Empowering Skills Development for Bussines Transformation in the Western Balkans 7 April 2025, online | | |
| | Open4Business: Empowering MSMEs in the Western Balkans - Pathways to the EU 9 April 2025, Belgrade | | |
| | International B2B Meetings at Mostar Fair 2025 9 - 10 April 2025, Mostar | | |
| | EC Conference: How to go from Startup to Scaleup? Experiences and Future Perspectives 10 April 2025, Brussels and online | | |
| | EU-Startups Summit 24 - 25 April 2025 | | |
| | Business and Entrepreneurship Development Training: The LEADER Project 22 - 30 April 2025, Skopje | | |
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Resources
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| Albania Employment and Entrepreneurship | | |
| | The Start-up and Innovation Ecosystem in Albania and its Potential to Connect to Europe | | |
| | Start Up Guide in Albania | | |
| | Guide How to Launch in North Macedonia | | |
| | North Macedonia's Growth Acceleration Plan: SME Finance | | |
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Programmes & Policies
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| European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder | | |
| | European Innovation Council (EIC) Transition | | |
| | European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Programme | | |
| | Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs | | |
| | Single Market Programme | | |
| | Youth in Business Programme | | |
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Initiatives
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| Startup Europe | | |
| | ICT Hub | | |
| | CEED Hub Skopje | | |
| | VentureUP | | |
| | Innovation Centre Banja Luka | | |
| | IBU Incubator | | |
| | Fondacija 787 | | |
| | Yunus Social Business Balkans | | |
| | Western Balkans Start-up Alliance | | |
| | Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) | | |
| | Finnosee – Access to Finance for South East Europe Companies | | |
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Updates from the Region
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| News | | EU Guarantees to Unlock €750 Million for Small Businesses in the Western Balkans | | |
| | Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) supports development of a Knowledge Transfer Tool-kit for the Western Balkans | | |
| | UNIDO Strengthens Regional Cooperation in the Western Balkans | | |
| | Western Balkans Media Professionals Engage in European Study Tour to Enhance Journalism Practices | | |
| | Share Your Insights in the Social Transformations and Resilience Survey | | |
| | Use the ECs Dashboard to Learn which SMEs from the Western Balkans Received EU Funding | | |
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| Calls | EIT Jumpstarter 2025 – European Early-Stage Innovation Programme Open for Applications Deadline: 2 April 2025
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| Second Call for International Mobility Grants for Public Service Media Professionals Deadline: 10 April 2025
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| EIT Culture & Creativity Innovation Call: Short Innovation Projects 2025 Deadline: 11 April 2025
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| Call for Applications: EIT InfraBooster Practitioner 2025 Deadline: 13 April 2025
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| Third Call for Individual Mobility of Artists and Cultural Professionals Deadline: 30 April 2025
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| Call for Applications: EIT InfraBooster 2025 Deadline: 7 December 2025
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| Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs – a Unique Opportunity for Youth and Entrepreneurs Deadline: 31 December 2025
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Events
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| EU Enlargement: Cultural Heritage as a Key Resource for Cities & Civil Society 3 - 4 April 2025, Budva | | |
| | Regional Knowledge Exhange: Empowering Skills Development for Bussines Transformation in the Western Balkans 7 April 2025, online | | |
| | Open4Business: Empowering MSMEs in the Western Balkans - Pathways to the EU 9 April 2025, Belgrade | | |
| | 20th International Conference on Road Safety in Local Communities 23 - 26 April 2025, Vrnjačka Banja | | |
| | POLICY ANSWERS Webinar: How to Become Active in EU Partnerships, the Approach of Türkiye 24 April 2025, online | | |
| | Meeting of the Western Balkans Steering Platform on Research and Innovation (13 - 15 May 2025, Podgorica) 13 - 15 May 2025, Podgorica | | |
| | POLICY ANSWERS Workshop on Technology-Oriented Research Infrastructures: Opportunities for the Western Balkans 13 May 2025, Podgorica | | |
| | Training Session: HPC, AI, Quantum Computing 10 April 2025 | | |
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Resources
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| To What Extent are Widening Countries Part of Knowledge Networks Formed by the Framework Programmes? | | |
| | Voices from the Horizon, Third Countries' Experiences Guiding the Design of FP10 | | |
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Initiatives
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| Yunus Social Business Balkans | | |
| | Western Balkans Start-up Alliance | | |
| | Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) | | |
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Organisations
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| Western Balkans Enterprise Development & Innovation Facility (WB EDIF) | | |
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| News | | The Third Call of the “Challenge Fund” in Albania, EU4Innovation Support for new Entrepreneurs | | |
| | EU and Albania hold 3rd Horizon Europe Joint Research & Innovation Committee Meeting | | |
| | EIT Info Day in Albania Showcased Innovation and Funding Opportunities | | |
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Resources
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| Albania Employment and Entrepreneurship | | |
| | The Start-up and Innovation Ecosystem in Albania and its Potential to Connect to Europe | | |
| | Start Up Guide in Albania | | |
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Initiatives
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| Yunus Social Business Balkans | | |
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| | | Webinar: How to Become Active in EU Partnerships, the Approach of Türkiye |
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News
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| EU Launches EUR 5.5 Million Employment Project to Support Green and Digital Transitions in Bosnia and Herzegovina | | |
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Events
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| International B2B Meetings at Mostar Fair 2025 9 - 10 April 2025, Mostar | | |
| | 6th Biannual Conference of the Western Balkans Evaluation Network 2025: Strengthening Evaluation Frameworks: Development, Policy, and Practice 17 - 18 October 2025, Sarajevo | | |
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Resources
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| PA7 Reflection on the Future European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10) | | |
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Initiatives
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| Innovation Centre Banja Luka | | |
| | IBU Incubator | | |
| | Fondacija 787 | | |
| | Finnosee – Access to Finance for South East Europe Companies | | |
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News
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| Kosovo and Austria sign Cooperation Agreement for co-financing the SHER Programme | | |
| | Workshop Report on Innovation and Digital Transformation at Haxhi Zeka University, Kosovo | | |
| | Workshop Report related to Kosovar Draft Law for Scientific Research and Innovation | | |
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Events
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| Riinvest Institute Conference: Activating the Sources of Economic Growth 15 - 17 May 2025, Pristina | | |
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Resources
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| Assessing Research and Policy Support Needs for Innovation in the South East Europe - Key Findings Based on SmartEIZ Questionnaire Report | | |
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Initiatives
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| VentureUP | | |
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News
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| Second Conference on Entrepreneurship and Start-up Development Held in Pljevlja | | |
| | Fourth Cycle of the Social Impact Award Programme Officially Launched in Montenegro | | |
| | Training on "NTC Learning System" Held for Teachers from 10 Educational Institutions in Podgorica | | |
| | Awards Presented to the Most Outstanding Scientists in Montenegro | | |
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Calls
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Service Request: Local Agency to provide full event service management for the POLICY ANSWERS Workshop on Technology-Oriented Research Infrastructures in Podgorica Deadline: 6 April 2025
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Events
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| Training for Supporting the Development of Sustainable Agriculture and the Food Value Chain in Tivat, Montenegro 8 - 9 April 2025, Tivat | | |
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Resources
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| PA7 Reflection on the Future European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10) | | |
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Initiatives
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| Finnosee – Access to Finance for South East Europe Companies | | |
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News
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| EIT Community RIS Hub North Macedonia Supports Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Startups | | |
| | North Macedonia Joins Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) | | |
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Events
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| Business and Entrepreneurship Development Training: The LEADER Project 22 - 30 April 2025, Skopje | | |
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Resources
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| Guide How to Launch in North Macedonia | | |
| | North Macedonia's Growth Acceleration Plan: SME Finance | | |
| | Qualitative Analysis of Economic, Innovation and Scientific Potential in North Macedonia | | |
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Initiatives
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| CEED Hub Skopje | | |
| | Finnosee – Access to Finance for South East Europe Companies | | |
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| | | Call for Participation: Western Balkans Research & Innovation Youth Awards |
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News
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| Event Report on Empowering Female Entrepreneurs Through Digitalisation and Innovative Management | | |
| | National Inspiration Hubs: Bridging STE(A)M, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Management | | |
| | POLICY ANSWERS Fellowship: Manual for Startups & Scaleups, Accessing Innovation Funding | | |
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Events
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| Capacity Development for Evaluation of Scientific and Technology Projects in Niš 2 April 2025, Niš | | |
| | Open4Business: Empowering MSMEs in the Western Balkans - Pathways to the EU 9 April 2025, Belgrade | | |
| | Capacity Development for Evaluation of Scientific and Technology Projects in Kragujevac 16 April 2025, Kragujevac | | |
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Resources
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| PA7 Reflection on the Future European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10) | | |
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Initiatives
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| ICT Hub | | |
| | Finnosee – Access to Finance for South East Europe Companies | | |
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Other Highlights
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News
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| Discussions on the Future of FP10: Research Communities Push for a Stand-alone Programme | | |
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Calls
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EIT Culture & Creativity Innovation Call: Short Innovation Projects 2025 Deadline: 11 April 2025
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| Erasmus+ Call: Forward-Looking Projects for Innovative and Digital Solutions Deadline: 25 May 2025
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Events
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| Circular Biobased Economy Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) Info Day 2025 3 April 2025, Brussels | | |
| | EU Enlargement: Cultural Heritage as a Key Resource for Cities & Civil Society 3 - 4 April 2025, Budva | | |
| | EC Conference: How to go from Startup to Scaleup? Experiences and Future Perspectives 10 April 2025, Brussels and online | | |
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We Are always Here To Talk
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The Western Balkans Information Hub acts as a source of high-quality targeted Information on research, technology and innovation but also education, culture, youth and sports in, with and for the Western Balkans. It is supported by the project POLICY ANSWERS, funded by the Horizon Europe programme - Grant Agreement no. 101058873, and coordinated by Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI)
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*Kosovo This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
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