Applications - Youth in Business Programme in Serbia

The Youth in Business Programme is designed to increase young entrepreneurs’ and Youth micro, small and medium-sized businesses access to skills to help them grow their business thereby promoting youth entrepreneurship. The aim of the Programme is to demonstrate that, when market failures are addressed and businesses led by young people are given equal opportunities, a positive impact could be reached in terms of the overall county economic performance and growth as well as in terms of other social gains.

In the region of Western Balkans, the Programme is funded by Sweden represented by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida). The Programme seeks to offer an effective response to address the multi-dimensional nature of Youth micro, small and medium-sized businesses’ barriers to growth.

The support is provided through cost-sharing of the fee for advisory services needed by the businesses. The eligible advisory services may be in specialized areas of expertise including but not limited to:
- Improving management skills to run the business
- Improving performance in terms of market performance and/or cost reduction, through advisory services related to operations, organization, marketing, export promotion, energy efficiency, engineering, environment and ICT
- Improving corporate governance including promotion of best practices in business conduct and management models
- Introducing innovative business tools, models, and commercialization of innovative products
- Connecting with potential regional and international partners in order to access new markets through targeted business matching events
- Introducing a new management culture and management skills by transferring industry expertise and commercial know-how to young managers across the main business to foster locally-based knowledge
- Support to introducing quality standards such as quality management, food safety, environmental and IT standards
- Business support and matchmaking services for young entrepreneurs that have significant growth potential to gain access to finance