Small and medium-sized enterprises and civil society organizations are invited to apply for the free TRANSFORMATOR program, aimed at accelerating their transition toward more sustainable business practices. Over the course of this two-month educational program, scheduled to begin in the third week of September, participants will gain essential knowledge and skills needed to align their operations with sustainability principles. Participation in the program is free of charge, and applications are open until June 20.
The TRANSFORMATOR program is designed as an intensive two-month cycle of trainings and workshops, combined into a comprehensive educational module. It is intended for active small and medium-sized enterprises and civil society organizations that want to improve their business, adopt sustainable practices, and prepare for future market challenges. Fifteen legal entities will be selected to participate, each of which will transform their business model from linear to sustainable.
This is the second edition of the TRANSFORMATOR program in Serbia. In the first edition, held in autumn 2024, twelve enterprises and organizations worked on developing business ideas based on sustainability principles and transforming their business models accordingly.
Each edition of the TRANSFORMATOR program concludes with the recognition of the best ideas for improving business sustainability. Last year, awards were given to P.S. Fashion from Čačak for a project focused on enhancing the textile industry value chain through circularity, and Inak from Bosilegrad for a project involving the construction of a cogeneration plant for wood industry waste. A special award, in the form of additional consultancy support for implementing ESG criteria, was granted to Jasmil and the Center for the Development of Participatory Education.
The Transformator program is part of a larger regional program called “Sustainable Futures,” aimed at preparing SMEs for key future challenges. In addition to Transformator, SMEs have the opportunity to join the Sustainability Academy, a free e-learning platform aimed at providing basic knowledge about business sustainability and enabling self-paced learning.
The Transformator program was created with the support of the Coca-Cola Foundation and launched in 2021 in Romania by Social Innovation Solutions (SIS). The program is being held for the fifth consecutive time in Romania, for the second time in Croatia, Bulgaria, and Serbia and for the first time in Slovenia. The national partner for the Serbian market is Smart Kolektiv.
