Applications are now open for the regional pre-acceleration program for startups, intended for participants from Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Applications for the program, which is implemented as part of the CODES (Cooperation for Development of Cross Border Business Environment Strengthened) project implemented by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IPC) Tehnopolis, are open until February 13.
"The program provides a unique opportunity to develop startup ideas through intensive workshops, mentoring support and international networking. The first step of the program is the Bootcamp in Mostar, which will be held from February 24 to 28, where 24 teams (eight from each country) will participate. Over the course of five days, participants will go through a series of educational workshops and work with mentors," Tehnopolis announced.
Key topics at the workshops in Mostar will be the basics of the startup world and business model development, market research and competition analysis, financial planning and development of a go-to-market strategy, as well as preparing pitch presentations.
After the Bootcamp, the four best teams from each country will continue with a three-month pre-acceleration program with intensive mentoring support. The program ends with a final phase in which the best team participates in a six-month validation of their business idea. With continued mentoring support, the team will have the opportunity to participate in the PODIM conference in Slovenia, one of the most important startup conferences in the region.
"This program is an opportunity for startup teams to gain practical knowledge, improve their business models, and secure support from expert mentors. In addition, networking with other startups and access to key resources can significantly accelerate the development of their ideas," the statement said.
All interested startup teams can apply at https://forms.office.com/e/7GcETQPCND, and in case of need for additional clarifications, the organizer reserves the right to invite applicants to an informational meeting before the final selection of teams that will participate in the program.
The costs of travel and accommodation at the Bootcamp in Mostar, for one member of each selected team, are covered by the program organizer.
The CODES project is co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A IPA Programme Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Montenegro 2021-2027 and is implemented by INTERA Technology Park Mostar, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Tehnopolis, BIT Center Tuzla, the City of Zadar and the University of Zadar.
Bonus video:
