THE CALL FOR APPLICATIONS IS OPEN!

APPLY NOW!

About RISE

RISE (Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs) with its ten partners, supports any venture by young people in the Western Balkans that aims to have a positive social or environmental impact on their ecosystems. After the success of its first and second cycle, RISE has launched its third phase with a focus on enabling young people in the region to get to know each other better, exchange ideas and create new synergies to promote reconciliation in the region.

 

The project will contribute to the development of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem and improve access to social entrepreneurship for young people in the Western Balkans region.

THE CALL FOR APPLICATIONS IS OPEN!

APPLY NOW!

About RISE

RISE (Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs) with its ten partners, supports any venture by young people in the Western Balkans that aims to have a positive social or environmental impact on their ecosystems. After the success of its first and second cycle, RISE has launched its third phase with a focus on enabling young people in the region to get to know each other better, exchange ideas and create new synergies to promote reconciliation in the region.

The project will contribute to the development of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem and improve access to social entrepreneurship for young people in the Western Balkans region.

THE RISE JOURNEY

meet-up-social-entrepreneurs-ideation-phase-rise-balkan-green-foundation-kosovo-prishtina
The Ideation Chapter

Transform your idea into a sustainable social business model!

The 4-months ideation phase includes one on one coaching, training sessions, meetups sessions and mentoring program.

Demo days

Pitch your project!

At the end of the ideation phase, during a demo day organized by the local incubators, you will present their projects to an official jury that will select the two best teams to join the Incubation Chapter.

RISE Bootcamp

Meet all the participants of the incubation Chapter!
It is an opportunity to network with your peers across the region and to participate in several sessions: peer learning session, social business development training, intercultural workshops...

The Incubation Chapter

Test your social business idea!

You will receive a grant to develop an initial prototype of your social enterprise idea. Local incubators will support you with training and coaching sessions.

RISE Expedition

Travel around Western Balkans!

The RISE Expedition is a valuable and enriching experience that will provide the unique opportunity to explore social businesses of the region.

You are between 16 and 35 years old.

You have the willingness to learn from other actors in the region.

You are a person from Western Balkans 6 (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia).

You worked on an entrepreneurial idea on a small scale / at a personal level, without having engaged in a real business activity yet.

You have a high motivation to learn about social entrepreneurship and to be involved in a regional intercultural program.

Your idea impact is regional or local.

You are between 16 and 35 years old.

You have the willingness to learn from other actors in the region.

You are a person from Western Balkans 6 (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia).

You worked on an entrepreneurial idea on a small scale / at a personal level, without having engaged in a real business activity yet.

You have a high motivation to learn about social entrepreneurship and to be involved in a regional intercultural program.

Your idea impact is regional or local.

You are between 16 and 35 years old.

You have the willingness to learn from other actors in the region.

You are a person from Western Balkans 6 (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia).

You worked on an entrepreneurial idea on a small scale / at a personal level, without having engaged in a real business activity yet.

You have a high motivation to learn about social entrepreneurship and to be involved in a regional intercultural program.

Your idea impact is regional or local.

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Join the RISE Journey and turn your social business idea into reality!

Click on the Local Incubator nearest to you to apply:

ARNO, Skopje

Apply now!

Balkan-green-foundation-organisation-promoting-sustainable-development-in-kosovo-and-western-balkans

Balkan Green Foundation, Prishtina

Apply now!

Innovation-and-Entrepreneurship-Center-tehnopolis-center-of-development-of-startup

IEC Tehnopolis, Nikšić

Apply now!

citizen-association-nesto-vise-bosnia-herzegovina-

Nesto Vise, Sarajevo

Apply now!

Smart-kolektive-serbia-connecting-business-experiences-with-solving-social-issues

Smart Kolektiv, Belgrade

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Yunus Social Business Balkans, Tirana

Apply now!

Information before applying

What Is RISE ?

RISE (Regional Incubator for Social Entrepreneurs) with its ten partners, supports any venture by young people in the Western Balkans that aims to have a positive social or environmental impact on their ecosystems. After the success of its first cycle, RISE has launched its second phase with a focus on enabling young people in the region to get to know each other better, exchange ideas and create new synergies to promote reconciliation in the region. The project will contribute to the development of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem and improve access to social entrepreneurship for young people in the Western Balkans region

The general objective of RISE is to foster reconciliation in the Western Balkans through the promotion and strengthening of social entrepreneurship in the region.

RISE opens new spaces of reconciliation for the youth of the Western Balkans, through a regional program to support social entrepreneurship (The RISE Journey). Young social entrepreneurs from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia will be supported throughout an Ideation and Incubation Chapter from which innovative solutions nourishing a dynamic ecosystem will emerge.

What Is A Social Business ?

A social enterprise is a type of business entity that seeks to achieve social or environmental goals while also generating sustainable financial returns. Unlike traditional for-profit businesses that primarily focus on maximizing profits for shareholders, social businesses aim to address societal issues, create positive impact, and improve the well-being of communities or the environment.

It operates by providing goods and services for the market in an entrepreneurial and innovative fashion and uses its profits primarily to achieve social objectives.

It is managed in an open and responsible manner and, in particular, involves employees, consumers and stakeholders affected by its commercial activities.

What Do We Offer ?

JOIN THE RISE JOURNEY!

RISE focuses on helping young changemakers turn their powerful ideas into sustainable social enterprises. Our tailor-made support programme, RISE Journey, is implemented by six local incubators in the Western Balkans region.  At each stage, you will be accompanied by a local incubator that will provide training and technical skills to the entrepreneurs. The RISE Journey consists of 2 phases: the Ideation Chapter and the Incubation Chapter.

The Ideation Chapter (from October 2024 to February 2025):  You will have access to a series of trainings, and mentoring sessions about social entrepreneurship and interculturality. At the end of the ideation chapter, you will present your social business model addressing the identified problem, with impact and sustainability. Two of the best social business ideas will be selected and will receive financial support of €2,500, an expedition in Western Balkans and a regional incubation programme. The third best social business idea selected will be able to take part in the expedition in Western Balkans.

The Incubation Chapter (from March 2025 to June 2025): The support programme continues with a regional dimension! 

You will complete the training with the aim of creating a working prototype of your idea, while travelling around the region at a regional Bootcamp to meet Risers and at the RISE expedition, which will introduce you to the region's social enterprises.

The RISE Journey has supported more than 500 young social entrepreneurs (175 social enterprise ideas) and incubated 48 social enterprises. 

It's your turn! Take part in the RISE Journey and make a change in the region!

Who Can Apply ?

Young people from 16 to 35 years old from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, speaking English well enough to actively participate in an international program, in a group of a minimum of 2 persons that have:

  • Availability and readiness to participate in a program with 4 hours of active participation per week and meetups during 3 months ideation phase, whether these are in online or offline format.
  • High motivation to learn about social entrepreneurship and to be involved in a regional intercultural program
  • The ambition to develop a concrete idea with social impact
  • The willingness to learn from other actors in the region
  • At least, have identified a social/environmental issue they want to tackle
  • At most, worked on their idea on a small scale / at a personal level, without having engaged in a real business activity yet.
  • The idea impact is regional or local

Who Cannot Apply ?

  • Projects that have already been supported/funded by another existing support program delivering similar training and knowledge to entrepreneurs
  • Incorporated / registered entities
  • Political parties, government and state agencies
  • Scholarships ideas
  • Capital funding ideas 
  • Research ideas
  • Projects already selling their products or services
  • Ideas with discriminatory practices, risking to create or reinforce divisions
  • Ideas where the main impact is outside the region

What are our criteria for selection ?

Key criteria

The key criteria that applicants will need to demonstrate are: 

  • Strong motivation to participate in the program, the mindset of a true change-maker and commitment to fully participate in 3 months of ideation program 
  • How the idea tackles a critical social/environmental issue
  • The potential for the idea to become a sustainable business 
  • More than half of the team members speak English.
  • Advantage will be given to teams that haven’t previously been supported / funded by another existing support program which delivers similar trainings and knowledge to entrepreneurs.

 

Advantageous criteria

Additional points are going to be awarded if the idea:

  • The innovation is implemented in a local context 
  • Has the potential to scale or replicate in the region.
  • Has the potential to create additional jobs.
  • Respects gender-equality principles

Questions & Answers

Is it possible to implement our project idea for RISE through our NGO? If we get monetary support can it be used via the NGO legal entity and its bank account?

Yes, as long as the project is led by a group of young people,  we can be flexible on the type of entity that will be set as beneficiary.

Can an individual apply?

Unfortunately not. Starting a social enterprise as well as a traditional one requires a lot of time, energy and motivation, so it is unsustainable for one person to present the entire program on their own. Also, more people in the team open more space for creativity, different perspectives and the exchange of ideas that is necessary for an idea to grow and develop. 

I am also working but would like to be part of RISE Journey, is that a problem?

If you can manage to follow the training during the appointed days and hours without letting go of your tasks and duties, we would encourage you to apply and be part of the RISE Journey.

Can I apply if I am under 18?

Yes, if the person who is the team leader is over 18.

I have recently legally registered my business, can I apply?

Sadly, you can not apply with the idea of the already started business. In order to be part of the Call for Applications, you should have an idea that has not been developed more than just the initial steps. But, on the other side, if you have another social business idea, usually entrepreneurs have many of them, you are invited to apply.

Can the same team apply with more ideas?

Yes they can, but they need to elaborate on each and every one of them in the application and only one idea can be developed in the ideation phase.

I have a great idea but my friends are not sure who wants to be on the team at the moment. Can we change/add people in later stages?

It is always better to have a strong group from the beginning of the idea development, to be consistent. But a team can always evolve during the program.

Is it necessary to have a detailed plan to participate in the program or just an idea is enough?

The challenges you want to work on and finding solutions that will contribute to solving that problem are the activities planned for the Ideation Phase. In that sense, you should not come up with a detailed plan, but you should state in a nutshell - what problem you want to work on, the potential solution you see for that problem and how to make that solution sustainable and profitable.

With our idea, which we would develop through RISE, can we apply to other calls for funding later?

Yes you can, If you can apply with a business plan to get funds from local or international donors we will be happy that you can transform your idea into reality.

Are there any restrictions on the activities you subsidize?

All activities that aim to solve or a new approach to a social/environmental problem can be the subject of investment - from agriculture to educational programs. Activities that are not conducted by a social/environmental mission cannot be financed, nor can activities that aim only to achieve personal financial gain.

When will the application results be published?

You will be notified of the results after 7-10 days from the closing of the competition.

Do I need to be part of all the training sessions?

In order to develop at best your social business idea, participation in all the workshops and training sessions is necessary. Also, not participating in all the workshops shows lack of commitment, one of the important points at the Call for Application guidelines. Nevertheless, you can coordinate with your teammates so at least one of you can attend the workshops and transmit to you all the progress made during that time.

When do you expect the first activities on the project to start and what are those activities?

The first activities will start during the first 2 weeks of November and the first activities will be Meet-Up where we will all officially meet and present the next steps of the program. 

How long does the program last? Is there mentoring support after the training?

The first phase of the program lasts from early November to mid February when a Demo Day is held where teams present their ideas and solutions to the expert committee. If the team goes further on Demo Day, it will enter the Incubation Phase, which lasts from February to June 2025. The training sessions will be conducted in the premises of Local Incubator. During the 4 months of the Ideation Phase, 3 Meet Ups are planned.

You have any other questions? Contact us!
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