Smart Start
Smart Start is a regional project funded by the European Union – Civil Society and Media Programme 2014-2015 (Support for regional thematic networks of civil society organizations). The project is implemented in the Western Balkan countries and Turkey, which are beneficiaries of the IPA programme, and is led by the Center for the Promotion of Civil Society (CPCD), together with its partners: the Center for Research and Policy Making (
Smart Start is a regional project funded by the European Union – Civil Society and Media Programme 2014-2015 (Support for regional thematic networks of civil society organizations).
The project is being implemented in the Western Balkan countries and Türkiye, all beneficiaries of the IPA program. It is led by the Center for the Promotion of Civil Society (CPCD), together with its partners: the Center for Research and Policy Making (North Macedonia), the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (Montenegro), the Center for the Development of the Non-Profit Sector (Serbia) and the YADA Foundation (Türkiye), with support from CEDRA HR (Croatia).
The aim of the SmartStart project is to help create conditions for social entrepreneurship by civil society organizations (CSOs) and improve their sustainability, financial capacity and social impact in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.
Phase One: SmartStart will select 100 CSOs in 5 countries (20 per country) to take part in a specially designed capacity-building programme aimed at developing the skills needed to establish social enterprises, or economic activities run by organizations. Organizations participating in the programme will develop business plans for their ideas during specially designed training sessions.
Second phase: Based on an assessment of the business plans, SmartStart will select 50 organizations (from the 100 that participated in the first phase) and provide them with financial and technical support. The grant will be used as start-up support for the selected CSOs and may be used to purchase necessary equipment, services, staff training, materials, etc.
The total estimated amount of financial support to be awarded to the selected CSOs is 308.500,00 EUR. The SmartStart project consortium reserves the right not to award the entire amount available.
The maximum amount of financial support per organization will be 6.170,00 EUR. The minimum contribution from the CSO is 10% (the SmartStart project will provide support of 5.553,00 EUR, and the CSO contribution is 617,00 EUR).
In-kind contribution (in-kind contribution) is not accepted as a CSO contribution, but will earn additional points in the business plan assessment.
The deadline for submitting applications is June 13, 2016.
