The Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, together with its partners: the Chamber of Commerce of Kosovo, NGO ETRI, and the Regional Business Center Berane, is implementing the cross-border project “Skills for Sustainable Employment in the Cross-Border Region of Montenegro and the Republic of Kosovo – No Borders! (NO BORDERS)”, co-financed by the European Union and implemented within the Interreg-IPA Cross-Border Cooperation Program Montenegro – Kosovo 2014-2020. The project’s goal is to raise the employability of young people (aged 15-30) and women by improving the necessary knowledge and skills for employment.
Purpose of the Call: Selection of 11 candidates who will participate in a paid one-month online training for developing business ideas with the aim of starting their own business. The training will include workshops and individual mentoring for all participants in the following areas: legal issues and business registration, financial management/accounting, strategic planning and business models, marketing and sales, and digital marketing. With the support of trainers and mentors, participants will develop business plans and acquire the necessary knowledge to implement them, i.e., to start their own business by the end of the training. The best business ideas/plans will also receive financial support, details of which can be found in the section “About the Training Program.”
Who Can Apply: Unemployed individuals (aged 18-35) and women from the following municipalities: Andrijevica, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Gusinje, Kolašin, Petnjica, Mojkovac, Plav, Podgorica, Rožaje, Zeta, and Tuzi.
Individuals who turn 18 during the training and wish to register a business in the above-mentioned municipalities are also eligible to participate in the business idea and development support program.
It is desirable for candidates to have:
- A high level of motivation to start their own business
- Willingness to acquire new knowledge
Training Period: October 1 – 31, 2024.
About the Training Program: The training will include five half-day introductory workshops on the following topics: legal issues and business registration, financial management/accounting, strategic planning and business models, marketing and sales, and digital marketing. After that, 75 hours of one-on-one work with mentors in the above-mentioned areas will be organized. All activities will be conducted online. Upon completion of the training, two final two-day group sessions will be organized in the following areas: 1) Negotiation and Access to Finance (online) and 2) Business Idea Presentation, which will serve as preparation for the competition for the best business idea for which awards are provided (in person). The first prize will be 2,000 EUR, the second 1,000 EUR, and the third 500 EUR. Award winners will be required to invest the money in their business and provide evidence of the investment to the project partners.
Candidates who successfully complete the training, for which they must secure a minimum of 75% attendance, will receive a certificate of completion and a developed business plan for starting their own business.
How to Apply: Interested candidates are invited to apply via the application form available at the following link: link.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. For any questions or concerns regarding the application, candidates are encouraged to email: [email protected]
Application Deadline: Applications for business idea development training are open until September 20, 2024. Applications received after the specified deadline will not be considered.
Selection Criteria and Process: The selection of candidates will be conducted by the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro and the Regional Business Center Berane, together with a selected consulting agency that will conduct the training. Candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Be unemployed or final-year high school students;
- Belong to at least one of two categories: youth (aged 18-30) or women;
- Reside in the areas where the internship program will be conducted, i.e., in the following municipalities: Andrijevica, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Gusinje, Kolašin, Petnjica, Mojkovac, Plav, Podgorica, Rožaje, Zeta, and Tuzi.
After verifying the basic criteria, preference will be given to candidates with a properly completed application.