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Under the patronage of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, the Science and Technology Park Niš (STP Niš)
in cooperation with the Startup Center Niš and the Regional Innovation Center Zubin Potok announces the

PUBLIC CALL

for startups to participate in international conferences
within the “STARTUP QUEST: Going Global” program

1. Goal of the call

The goal of this Public Call is to provide comprehensive (expert, financial, and logistical) support to startups for participation in significant international conferences and fairs, in order to strengthen their position on the global market. Through the Startup Quest program, startups get the opportunity to:

• strengthen their international visibility by presenting at global events that bring together leading companies, investors, and experts.
• expand their business network through direct contacts with potential partners, clients, and mentors.
• exchange knowledge and experience with startup communities from different countries, gaining insight into the latest trends and best practices in their industry.
• enhance their growth potential through access to new markets, partnerships, and financing opportunities.
• strengthen their presentation and business positioning skills, preparing for international investment and market challenges.

The ultimate goal of this call is to provide promising startups from Serbia with support for internationalization, facilitate access to global markets, and pave the way for sustainable growth and development.

2. Who can apply?

This initiative is intended for startups in various stages of development, including:

•  early-stage startups, who are in the process of developing a minimum viable product (MVP), market testing and business model validation, as well as
• startups in later stages, who have already validated their business model, have a certain user base, and are preparing to scale and expand into new markets.

Micro or small companies in the form of a limited liability company (LLC) can apply to the Public Call, provided they are:

•  founded in the Republic of Serbia;
• not older than 10 years at the time of application;
• in private and Serbian majority ownership;
• developing an innovative product, service, or technology with potential for application on the international market;
• interested in scaling to the global market.

3. What does the program enable?

Selected startups will be provided with financial, logistical, and expert support through this program, so that they can fully prepare and successfully present at selected international conferences.
The program allows startups to:

• Coverage of direct participation costs*:
  Registration fee for participation in the selected conference.
  – Travel expenses (airfare or other mode of transportation, excluding local transportation).
  – Accommodation for the startup representative.
  *according to the conditions and standards defined by the organizer.

• Preparatory program for startups:

A preparatory program will be organized for the selected startups, with the aim of enabling them to better prepare for participation in the conferences. The program will focus on key aspects that can contribute to a more successful presentation of the startups, their positioning, and the utilization of the opportunities that these events provide.

4. Conference selection and participation conditions

Within the Public Call, each startup can apply for one of three international conferences, tailored to different stages of startup development:

1. How to Web (Bucharest, Romania; October 1-2, 2025) – intended for startups in the early stages of development.
2. Slush (Helsinki, Finland; November 19-20, 2025) – intended for startups in the early and more mature stages of development.
3. Web Summit (Lisbon, Portugal; November 10-13, 2025) – intended for startups in later stages.

Startups applying for the program are required to indicate one international conference they wish to attend in their application. The selected event should be aligned with their business goals and stage of development, in order to provide them with the greatest benefit in terms of networking, showcasing innovations, and accessing markets.
Each startup can receive support for the participation of one representative, who will be involved in all relevant event activities. The selected representative should be a team member who can competently present the startup, its product or service, and establish strategic contacts with potential partners and investors.

Important: The event selection is final and cannot be changed after registration. The selected representative will, upon returning from the event, be required to submit a report on the results of the participation and potential business opportunities that arose from the participation.

4. Selection criteria

The selection of startups that meet the requirements from point 2 will be carried out based on the following criteria:

•  Team quality and relevance
• Traction and market validation
• Size and attractiveness of the target market
• Growth and scaling strategy
• The strategic importance of participating in the conference

Additional priority in the selection process will be given to:

• startups from the ecosystem of regional innovation startup centers and innovation incubators that includes the Southern and Eastern Serbia Region, the Šumadija and Western Serbia Region, which are STP Niš partners (minimum 20% of selected startups);
• startups from the territory of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija (minimum 10% of selected startups);
• startups that are STP Niš members (minimum 50% of selected startups).

These criteria ensure balanced regional representation and encourage the development of the innovation ecosystem in different parts of Serbia.

5. How to apply

Interested startups are to fill out the online application form located at the LINK.
Application deadline: April 9, 2025 at midnight.

6. Selection procedure

After the call closes, all applications received will be subject to an administrative check to determine whether they meet the formal requirements of the contest and whether all required documentation has been submitted. Applications that are incomplete or do not meet the basic criteria will not be considered.
All correct and complete applications will be forwarded to the Commission which will conduct a detailed analysis and assessment according to the established criteria. The total number of startups that will be selected to participate in the program is 10 at most, based on their potential for internationalization and the results of the evaluation.
If necessary, the Commission may organize additional interviews with the registered startups in order to gain better insight into their capacities and potential for participation in international events.

On the basis of the final assessment, a list of selected startups will be drawn up, and they will be notified by email by April 15, 2025. The selected startups will receive detailed information about further steps and obligations within the program. If any of the selected startups withdraw, the organizers reserve the right to invite the next highest-ranked candidate.

7. Additional information
All information about the Public Call can be obtained by email at info@ntp.rs.

The project “Startup Quest: Going Global” is being implemented with the support and patronage of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation.

Get ready for two days of innovation, networking, and inspiration!

TechMomentum – The 9th Forum of Advanced Technologies awaits us on June 11 and 12 at STP Niš, bringing together leading experts, entrepreneurs, and innovators from the region and the world. If you want to learn more about the latest trends in digital transformation, network with potential partners and hear the experiences of successful startups, this is an event you must not miss!

We are organizing the event in collaboration with the Startup Center Niš, the City of Niš, the Regional Innovation Startup Center Zubin Potok, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, with the support of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation.

The goal of the Forum is to encourage innovation, connect the local community with international partners, and strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit. In the long term, we want to contribute to the development of an economy based on knowledge and innovation.

📅 Reserve your dates – June 11 and 12 in Niš!
Interesting speakers, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and lots of networking opportunities await you.

More details and the application form will be available soon at the website www.fnt.rs.

If you have a small business and want to improve communication with customers, a Viber Business Account is the ideal solution for you! This free platform allows you to increase your online visibility and improve sales in a simple and effective way.

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The Economic Council, a permanent working body of the City Council, which plays a key role in creating and implementing strategies for economic development and improving the business environment, has been formed in Niš.
Milan Ranđelović, PhD, managing director of the Science and Technology Park Niš, was elected president of the Council. The members of this body are prominent businesspeople – directors, co-owners and owners of companies that have been successfully operating in Niš for years, as well as the rector of the University of Niš and representatives of domestic and foreign companies.

The main task of the Council is to contribute to the development of the economy in Niš through cooperation with institutions, businesspeople, and the professional community. It is the competent authority for:

• Launching initiatives for economic development
• Reviewing strategies and plans for economic growth
• Monitoring the implementation of local development programs
• Identifying the comparative advantages of Niš in the economic sector
• Improving the business climate through making conclusions and recommendations

The process of forming the Council included consultations with business associations and entrepreneurs, representatives of the professional public, institutions, and prominent individuals from the economic sector.

Milan Ranđelović, PhD, has over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship, local economic development, attracting investments and managing development and infrastructure projects. He is a Doctor of Economics and the author of more than 30 scientific papers and publications in the field of economic modeling and decision theory.
He has been the Managing Director of the Science and Technology Park Niš since 2020, a key institution for the development of the regional innovation and startup ecosystem.

According to him, with the formation of this Council, the City of Niš gains an important body that will, through a professional and analytical approach, contribute to strengthening the economy and creating an even more favorable business environment.

The Science and Technology Park Niš presented a new four-year project Serbian European Digital Innovation Hub on AI – S4AI_HUB, which will be implemented in cooperation with 22 key partners from various institutions in Serbia, which will work together on the process of digitalization and application of artificial intelligence in business.
In addition to project partners, the event was attended by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technological Development, Prof. Miroslav Trajanović, PhD, and Nikola Bićanin, Acting Assistant Minister for Information Society and Information Security of Innovation at the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications. In their address, they emphasized the importance of digitalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, as well as the application of artificial intelligence in that process.

“Thanks to exceptional proactivity and a well-designed project, together with the formed consortium, STP Niš managed to obtain funding worth 1.7 million euros from the Digital Europe program. It should be noted that STP Niš has already developed an innovation hub that, in addition to startups, brings together 9 regional innovation startup centers and 4 academic incubation centers. This project will be a huge step towards a digital innovation hub, which will enable broader cooperation, especially in the field of artificial intelligence,” said Trajanović. As an initiative supported by the European Commission, this hub will provide support in understanding, integrating, and applying AI technologies, so that the business sector in Serbia can remain competitive and sustainable in the era of accelerated technological development. “Our goal is to provide SMEs, startups, and the public sector the means to understand, integrate, and implement solutions based on artificial intelligence and Industry 5.0, helping them to improve their products and services, increase competitiveness, and ensure long-term sustainability in conditions of accelerated technological development,” said Ivan Pavlović, Assistant Director at STP Niš and Project Manager of S4AI_HUB.

Assistant Minister of Information Nikola Bićanin pointed out that this project is part of a broader initiative launched in 2023, when Serbia became a full member of the Digital Europe program – “In cooperation with other institutions, the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications is working intensively on further improvement, on further digitalization; we are expanding the services that are available to our citizens through the e-Government portal, and this only shows that we are paying attention to the services that we can provide to citizens in this manner, because consequently, their lives are made significantly easier,” added Bićanin.

S4AI_HUB will provide four key services: connectivity and collaboration, capacity building, test before invest, and securing investments. This way, users will be able to complete the entire cycle – from the initial idea to the final implementation – which has not been possible in our ecosystem so far.
The project is funded through the Digital Europe program (Project: 101191029 — S4AI_HUB — DIGITAL-2023-EDIH-04), with the support of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation and the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications. By implementing this project, Serbia will take a significant step towards digital transformation and strengthening the domestic innovation ecosystem.

*The project “Serbian European Digital Innovation Hub on AI – S4AI_HUB” is co-financed by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed in this document are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.