The RISE Regional Bootcamp brought together over 40 young social entrepreneurs, trainers, experts, RISE partners, and decision-makers from the Western Balkans and the European Union for the second consecutive year.  

Held from March 15 to March March 17 in Tirana, the Bootcamp marked the start of the incubation chapter, giving the opportunity for the young entrepreneurs to deepen their knowledge of various topics and benefit from the expertise of local incubators. More specifically, Project managers from local incubators provided support to the teams according to their specific needs on the business model, branding, pitching, sales and marketing. By accelerating the lessons, participants were able to improve their projects further, develop product and/or service prototypes, and create an action plan for the next steps. 

The event concluded with a pitch session judged by a jury, where three teams stood out for their diligent work.  

  • Coffee Mates, supported by ARNO, turns coffee waste into organic fertilizer and other circular economy products.  
  • Soko Camp, supported by Smart Kolektiv, reduces children’s screen consumption by offering outdoor activities.  
  • Komunumo, supported by IEC Tehnopolis, is a digital platform that combines language learning and employment services for migrants, creating independence in the region. 

Launched in 2019, RISE supports social ventures that have a positive impact on the region’s ecosystems. The project fosters reconciliation in the Western Balkans by promoting and strengthening social entrepreneurship. The intercultural component involved the SEEYN, allowing the Risers to broaden their understanding of cultural differences in the business setting. Over the next four months, young entrepreneurs will participate in the regional mobility program and develop their business ideas into functional prototypes. 

RISE – Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs is a regional support program for young social entrepreneurs implemented by Smart Kolektiv within Serbia. The RISE program takes place simultaneously in six Balkan countries with the aim of enabling motivated and dedicated young people to develop their ideas and make the region a better place.  

The RISE project is being developed and supervised by a consortium consisting of GROUPE SOS Pulse, Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), Youth Network of Southeast Europe (SEEIN) and the French-German Youth Office (OFAJ), and six local incubators – Smart Kolektiv, IPC Technopolis, ARNO, Balkan Green Foundation, Nesto vise and Yunus Social Business. RISE is co-financed by French Development  Agency (AfD), Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) and the European Union (EU). More about RISE program >> https://www.risewb.org/     

The article is partly taken from balkangreenfoundation.org