A representative of Smart Kolektiv, along with the winning teams of the 4th cycle of the RISE program in Serbia, participated in the RISE Regional Bootcamp held from March 4th to 7th in Bečići, Montenegro.
RISE Regional Bootcamp brought together 35 participants, including social entrepreneurs, actors in the field of social entrepreneurship, and decision-makers from the Western Balkans region. The winners of the 4th cycle of the RISE program in Serbia, “Common Threads” and “Link in Bioska”, also participated in the program. The bootcamp served as a platform for sharing knowledge and ideas, allowing the participants to connect and learn from each other.
During the Bootcamp, participants engaged in various sessions aimed at enhancing their entrepreneurial skills. The prototyping session provided them with basic knowledge on how to prototype their business ideas, building their creative confidence and critical thinking skills.
Additionally, coaching sessions led by local incubators were conducted, offering support and guidance in social mission, marketing, markets and finance to each team of social entrepreneurs. Together with colleagues from the organization Yunus Social Business Balkans, Tanja Vučetić from Smart Kolektiv held a workshop on marketing and sales. These sessions enabled the entrepreneurs to refine and strengthen their business strategies.
The bootcamp also prioritized discussions on gender mainstreaming within the Western Balkans region. A roundtable session was organized to highlight and address the existing gender disparities and challenges within the context of social entrepreneurship. This served as an important platform for raising awareness and fostering gender equality in the field.
In addition to the knowledge and skills acquired, the bootcamp also emphasized on fostering connections and building relationships within the region. An icebreaker session was organized to enable the participants to get to know each other better, establishing relationships and collaborations. Furthermore, an activity was organized where each social entrepreneur exchanged gifts representing their respective regions, further strengthening the bond among the participants. As part of the cultural immersion, the participants also had the opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Budva, experiencing the rich history and culture of the region.
The Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs has conducted a free support program for the development of social entrepreneurship ideas for the fourth consecutive time. The program simultaneously took place in Western Balkans 6 societies with the aim of enabling motivated and dedicated young people to develop their ideas and make the region a better place. During the four-month “ideation phase,” six to eight teams built their idea from scratch to a business model. Throughout this journey, they had the support of experts and mentors, with whom they went through all the important steps in launching a social enterprise. The two best teams from Serbia, and a total of 12 teams from the region, received additional financial and practical support to implement their idea and enhance the development of their business during the “incubation phase.”
The RISE project is supported by the Agence Française de Développement, the European Union; Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), the Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ) and PULSE (Groupe SOS). RISE activities are being implemented by 6 organizations of the Western Balkans region: ARNO, Balkan Green Foundation, Nešto Više, Smart Kolektiv, IEC Tehnopolis and Yunus Social Business Balkans. The “ideation phase” of RISE program in Serbia was implemented with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade.