The fourth online working meeting of the Cross-Border Advisory Team and the Project Team on the NESESER project (NEwly established Start-up Enterprise SERVICES) was held on January 29, 2025. The meeting was attended by nine people, 4 women and 5 men, consisting of: Indira Lević Muharemović, Ivana Pirić, Nenad Jevtović on behalf of the Project Team, and Amra Abadžić, Nevenka Jevrić, Admir Didić, Živan Savić and Filip Grujić on behalf of the Advisory Board, along with a representative of the Development and Guarantee Fund of the Brčko District of BiH.
On this occasion, the NESESER project manager Indira Lević Muharemović presented the key findings of the external impact evaluation of the NESESER project, which was conducted by the consulting agency “MOMENTUM CONSULTING Tuzla” in January 2025. Key findings of the evaluation include:
Relevance: The activities of the NESESER project were highly relevant to the target groups and aligned with the needs of local communities, and strategically linked to the priorities of the Brčko District of BiH and the City of Loznica. The project successfully filled key gaps in existing programs, such as providing infrastructure, mentoring and digital tools for start-ups, and all activities were in line with the broader EU objectives for economic growth and social inclusion.
Efficiency: The establishment and operation of the entrepreneurship centers and business incubators were key to achieving the specific project objectives. NESESER demonstrated a high level of efficiency in achieving results, especially in building capacity and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the project.
Impact: The project had a significant economic impact on the Brčko District of BiH and Loznica, including increasing the number of new businesses, jobs and fostering entrepreneurial skills among vulnerable groups.
Sustainability: The structural, operational and strategic measures implemented during the NESESER project indicate a high likelihood of sustainability of benefits after the end of the project. These measures ensure that the benefits achieved by the project will persist and continue to contribute to the development of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Recommendations for the NESESER project
The meeting resulted in certain recommendations, such as sustainability, with a tendency on both sides of the border to continue the project through networking start-ups in European networks, organizing joint events and building capacities, with the aim of its long-term sustainability.
The members of the Advisory Board expressed satisfaction with the achieved results, recognizing the importance of the project in strengthening the start-up community and economic development at the local level. The common view is that the project has achieved a significant economic impact, especially among young people and women, and that it has laid the foundations for further development and regional cooperation.
The NESESER project is co-financed by the European Union and implemented by the Development and Guarantee Fund of the Brčko District of BiH, the City of Loznica and the Institute for Development and Innovation – IRI within the framework of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II) through the Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Serbia – BiH 2014 – 2020.