Science and Technology Park Belgrade, with the support of the Government of the Swiss Confederation, announced today a call for Raising Starts, a new program to support startup teams and companies for the accelerated development of innovative products and services in the earliest stages of development.
The program includes intensive business development training, mentoring, and financial support of up to 15,000 CHF to cover costs for prototyping, business model development, market research, first customer testing, intellectual property protection, and other costs related to developing new products or services.
Applications are open until January 25 on the official website of the program, which was presented today at an online event attended by numerous young people interested in entrepreneurship, partners of STP Belgrade and the media.
Raising Starts is the first program of this type in Serbia that simultaneously provides professional and financial support to startups in the earliest stages of development. Startup teams of at least 2 members and innovative companies established no longer than two years before the date of publication of the Raising Starts open call, that develop innovative products and services, can apply for the program. Through several public calls in the next 3 years, Raising Starts will support the development of up to 100 new startup companies, and in addition to Belgrade, it will expand its coverage to the regions of Nis and Cacak.
According to the Startup Genome research, the lack of financial support for startups in the earliest stages of development is one of the biggest challenges for startup ecosystems in Serbia, and new investment support mechanisms are needed to continue to grow. By bringing professional and financial support at an early stage of development, with access to modern innovation laboratories and a network of partners, investors and other startup founders in STP Belgrade, Raising Starts will enable startup teams and companies to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to overcome obstacles on the road from the innovative idea to the investment readiness and entering the global market.
The Raising Starts program was created through the project “Technopark Serbia 2 – Boosting exports through technoparks” by which the Government of the Swiss Confederation supports the further development of innovation and technological entrepreneurship in Serbia. The Project is implemented by the STP Belgrade, based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between RS Government (on behalf of the RS Government: Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development) and the Government of the Swiss Confederation (on behalf of the Swiss Confederation Government: State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO). The Project’s main objective is to establish and develop new innovative companies that will contribute to increased exports, new employment and enable young people in Serbia to develop innovative businesses that are side by side with the world.
More information on: ntpark.rs/raising-starts/
