Official web site of
The City of Bijeljina

Nine entrepreneurs received support for their business ideas



​As part of celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week, presentation of business ideas and undertakings was organised in Bijeljina. Their concept was developed as part of ‘Business Ideas Incubator’, which, for the third time, is implemented in Bijeljina by Investment Foundation ‘Impakt’ and the City of Bijeljina, with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
Nine candidates, who successfully completed the entrepreneurial training, presented their ideas. This is the first phase of the programme, and they are going to receive a grant in the amount of 5,000 convertible marks.
 
An expert for development of entrepreneurship at ‘Impakt’ Mirela Almerović explained that this programme is unique because the candidates receive professional and mentor support, which is sometimes more important than the funds.
 
- We follow our candidates and continue to provide counselling related to promotion, law, accounting and similar things, in accordance with the assessed individual needs of the entrepreneurs – explained Almerović, and added that their team is in Bijeljina, preparing promotional stories of the entrepreneurs who received support in 2020.
She thinks that the previous experiences were positive and that seventeen entrepreneurs from Bijeljina were supported up to now.
- Thanks to our programme, new businesses are being developed and new jobs are created, and most importantly, we motivate people in to choose entrepreneurship in their local communities and we help them succeed. We do not make difference between the entrepreneurs depending on their sex, and it is encouraging that in the last three years the candidates are mostly women who started very successful businesses – Almerović pointed out.
 

Thirty participants entered the entrepreneurial training this year, and twelve completed the programme successfully. The only criterion for receiving the financial support was feasibility and quality of the business idea, as well as the readiness of entrepreneurs to implement their ideas successfully.
 
The City of Bijeljina has co-funded the programme in the amount of BAM 40,000, while BAM 25,000 was a donation.
- The City of Bijeljina has an objective to provide support to its entrepreneurs and we want to try to keep young people in Bijeljina. We think these activities contribute to the motivation for their stay here – said Ankica Todorović, the head of the Section for Local Economic Development and European Integration at the administration of the City of Bijeljina.
 
One of the participants of this year’s Inkubator who received financial support is Vanja Manojlović, whose idea is a dog care and grooming salon.
- I met a lot of people with an entrepreneurial spirit who decided to take matters into their own hands and do something for themselves. The Foundation provided top lecturers for us, and we have learnt a lot from them, which meant a lot to me. Anyone who wants to start their business and implement their business idea should have a similar training – said Manojlović.