Young entrepreneurs who stood out in the fifth cycle of the Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs (RISE) have begun their study visits across the region as part of the RISE Regional Mobility Program. This program aims to strengthen interregional cooperation, facilitate knowledge exchange, and spark inspiration for further development of social ideas among youth in the Western Balkans.
Among the exchange participants are teams from Serbia who achieved top results in the ideation phase of the RISE program — Career Launch and DigiLand, both winners of the main awards, as well as ViVod – the Virtual Guide, winner of the third prize and a mobility grant.
At the end of May, the Career Launch team successfully carried out a study visit to Skopje, where they had the opportunity to learn about the work of the local office of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), as well as ARNO, an incubator actively engaged in the development of social entrepreneurship in North Macedonia. During their stay, they also visited organizations such as CEFE, NASA Space App Strumica, and WEEE Macedonia, gaining insight into a variety of initiatives and approaches in the field of social innovation. They also took part in the regional event Western Balkans Innovation Awards, where they networked with young entrepreneurs from across the region, gaining new knowledge and contacts. On this occasion, they were awarded the Western Balkans Research & Innovation Youth Award for the best project from Serbia as part of the Policy Answers initiative organized by the Fund for Innovation and Technological Development of North Macedonia and the European Union.
Beyond the formal program, the team took the opportunity to explore Skopje’s cultural and historical landmarks and experience the hospitality of the local community.
As part of the mobility program, Smart Kolektiv hosted the Inclusive Voices team from North Macedonia in Belgrade from June 10–12. During their visit, we exchanged ideas and discussed opportunities for future collaboration, with a special focus on how media can empower and give voice to blind and visually impaired individuals. This visit marked an important step for the Inclusive Voices team in strengthening regional connections and building a media space that is more open, inclusive, and committed to telling authentic stories from marginalized communities.
The RISE Regional Mobility Program is designed to give young teams broader perspectives, enabling them to exchange experiences and connect with similar initiatives and experienced actors in the field of social innovation. Study visits continue throughout the summer — the DigiLand team has already visited Bosnia and Herzegovina and will soon travel to Montenegro to meet partners, while planning is currently underway for the ViVod – Virtual Guide team’s upcoming study visit.
The regional mobility program within RISE includes study visits across the Western Balkans, during which supported teams are introduced to similar socially impactful initiatives, connect with like-minded individuals, and exchange experiences with established social enterprises. These encounters foster the development of new ideas, partnerships, and perspectives, contributing to stronger regional cooperation and a more profound positive impact.
RISE – the Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs is a support program for young social entrepreneurs, implemented in Serbia by the organization Smart Kolektiv since 2019. This is the fifth cycle of the free support program for the development of social entrepreneurship ideas. The RISE project is supported by the Agence Française de Développement, European Union (EU), Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ), PULSE (Groupe SOS). The RISE activities are implemented by six organizations from the Western Balkans: ARNO, Balkan Green Foundation, Nešto Više, Smart Kolektiv, IEC Tehnopolis, and Yunus Social Business Balkans.
