Special events and activities

In BiH, promotion events for youth entrepreneurship are predominantly organized by international organizations, NGOs, private sector actors, and donor-funded projects. Public institutions are generally not the primary organizers of these events. Their role is usually limited to providing support, formal endorsements, or occasional partnerships. Most significant initiatives, such as pitch events, career fairs, start-up competitions, and entrepreneurship tournaments, are driven by foundations like Mozaik, Impakt, international programs like USAID, UNDP, Caritas, and regional EU-funded projects. 

In December 2018, the Young Entrepreneurs Forum was organised in Sarajevo by the BiH Labour and Employment Agency in collaboration with the YEP project and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The forum brought together young entrepreneurs, representatives from municipalities, and ministry officials to discuss financing options, mentorship opportunities, and the promotion of social entrepreneurship.

In November 2018, the Opportunity for Youth – Entrepreneurship Tournament was held at the Sarajevo City Hall. During this event, 22 startups supported by the Mozaik Foundation and the EFSE Entrepreneurship Academy presented their business ideas to a panel of investors. The best projects received financial awards of up to EUR10,000 each, along with six months of mentorship. Young people actively participated in this competition.

In November 2023, the “Welcome to the Future 2.0” Pitch Event took place in Sarajevo, organised by the Impakt Investment Foundation. This two-day event provided a platform for young entrepreneurs from incubators to present their business ideas in the "Pitch Arena." Three participants were awarded financial support ranging from EUR3,000 to EUR7,000, as well as special recognition for projects aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In April 2024, STARfest – Youth Employment & Career Fair was held in Sarajevo. More than 2,000 young people attended the event, which included 25 workshops, 60 exhibitors, career guidance sessions, internship opportunities, and interactive discussions with over 100 business leaders who encouraged youth to explore entrepreneurship and employment pathways.

The Travel & Tourism Resilience & Innovation Summit took place in June 2024 in Sarajevo as part of a USAID-led initiative. This summit featured a start-up competition where tourism technology ventures from the Western Balkans were presented. Bosnian start-ups participated by pitching their innovative solutions to a panel of judges and competing for investment opportunities.

Networks and partnerships

The largest entrepreneurial network active in BiH is the European Entrepreneurship Network (EEN). The EEN Network was established in 2009 in BiH, just one year after it was established in the EU. It was created within the European project of the Euro-info correspondent centre in BiH.

Since 2015, there have been two EEN consortia in BiH: the EEN consortium in FBiH and the EEN consortium in RS.

The EEN network consortium in FBiH consists of:

1. BiH Foreign Trade Chamber

2. Sarajevo Regional Development Agency SERDA

3. University of Sarajevo

4. INTERA Technology Park Mostar

5. BIT Centre Tuzla

6. Zenica Development Agency ZEDA

7. Development Agency of Una-Sana Canton RA-USK

The EEN network in FBiH does not put a direct focus on young entrepreneurs through its activities, but encourages the development of entrepreneurship, their education, and seeks to improve the economic position of the region and support individuals to realize their entrepreneurial potential by providing adequate knowledge, skills and initial resources through its members and partners., The unemployed young persons, but also people with many years of business experience, are continuously educated through INTERA Technology Park Mostar in order to better follow the trends and survive in the modern business world.

On the other hand, the BIT Centre Tuzla aims to enable young promising professionals and entrepreneurs to establish and develop their business in the field of information and communication technologies. There are three types of companies / projects supported through the BIT Centre, and they are: "Idea development" (projects), "Start-up" companies and companies with growth and development potential.

The EEN network consortium in RS consists of:

1. RS Development Agency

2. RS Chamber of Commerce

3. Innovation Centre Banja Luka

4. University of East Sarajevo

5. University of Banja Luka

The EEN network in RS also does not place a direct focus on young entrepreneurs, but the RS Development Agency is responsible for, among other things, providing support for the development of youth entrepreneurship.

The EFSE Entrepreneurship Academy connects financial institutions, government bodies, incubators, and youth organizations, offering grants, training, and platforms for ecosystem dialogue.

The Impakt Investment Foundation collaborates with GIZ, Nestlé, ProCredit Bank, and Caritas Switzerland to promote youth entrepreneurship through pitch events and incubation programs. 

The BiH Futures Foundation has been running the Innovation Nation, a 12-week acceleration program since 2016, and organizes the annual Futures Leaders Summit, which gathers over 500 young people to encourage leadership, idea development, and networking. 

The UNDP–EGG2 BizVenture student competition engages more than 150 university students in entrepreneurship simulations, mentorship, and innovation challenges, with a focus on social impact and youth empowerment.