The third cycle of the Social Impact Award (SIA) program in Montenegro was officially opened at the Ramada Hotel, starting at 10 AM, marking the beginning of the application process for the largest international competition in the field of youth social entrepreneurship.        

Applications for the largest international program supporting youth social entrepreneurship – the Social Impact Award (SIA) program – are open to all young people aged 15 to 30 who have an entrepreneurial idea and a desire to work in this field with an innovative approach to solutions.

Applications for this year’s cycle opened on March 27th and will remain open until May 31st application can be submitted at link.  

All interested participants will have the opportunity to take part in over 40 educational workshops and training sessions, which will be held in all three Montenegrin regions, as well as receive mentoring support from recognized professionals. The four winning teams will also receive seed capital of 1,500 euros for the implementation of their business idea, as well as the opportunity to showcase their acquired knowledge and skills at the international SIA Summit, which will be held this year in Mannheim, Germany.

The event marking the official opening of this year’s cycle and the presentation of the Social Impact Award (SIA) program in Montenegro was attended by project partners, representatives of state institutions, the scientific and academic community, the business sector, interested young people, as well as representatives of youth and civil society. At the first lecture titled “Challenges of Entrepreneurial Ventures in Promoting Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship,” Mr. Radivoje Drobnjak, Program Manager at the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, fully supported young people to dare and embark on realizing their ideas and ambitions, despite all the pressures and challenges. “Innovation is not just a product or service, but active work on changing the community’s mindset,” said Drobnjak. He also spoke about the financial challenges faced by young people who dare to implement socially responsible enterprises, concluding that no goal is unattainable if an individual is determined to achieve their dream.

The entire event was marked by a common key message shared by all speakers and lecturers, which is the necessity of continuously working on the affirmation and strengthening of social entrepreneurship in the country and region, especially among young people as future drivers of the economy and market development.

In addition, it was emphasized that the messages conveyed during the opening event are not only about the idea of the SIA program, as this program has a much broader social context and significance. The focus is on innovative young people who, through their ideas, identify a problem, propose a solution, and help the community. Through such concepts, young people are self-employed by opening social businesses, and through the development of their ideas, they indirectly contribute to the greater employability of others. Therefore, it is important to highlight that in a world where problems seem insurmountable, especially today, social entrepreneurship reminds us that every obstacle carries within it an opportunity for positive change.