BSC Bar Contributes to Strengthening Enterprise Europe Network’s Capacity in EU Project Development
Doc. Dr Ivana Tomašević, Director of the Business Start-up Centre Bar Foundation (BSC Bar), together with Dr Snezana Kirin, representative of the EEN Serbia Consortium, organised and led the online training “EU Project Development – Decentralized Training”, designed for Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) staff members.
The training took place on 29 October 2026 and brought together a large number of Enterprise Europe Network representatives and staff members from different European countries. Its objective was to strengthen EEN advisers’ knowledge and practical skills in identifying EU funding opportunities, developing project ideas, preparing project proposals and budgeting, thereby enhancing the support provided to the Network’s clients in accessing European funding programmes.
The training programme covered four key thematic areas: the EU funding ecosystem and the structure of funding programmes, transforming ideas into sound project logic, project proposal writing, and budgeting. Particular attention was given to major EU programmes such as Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, Interreg and EIT, the differences between direct and shared management funds, types of calls and the interpretation of application documentation.
Doc. Dr Ivana Tomašević, Director of BSC Bar and representative of the MontEENegro Consortium within Enterprise Europe Network, delivered sessions on the EU funding ecosystem and EU project budgeting. Through practical examples, she presented approaches to identifying relevant funding calls, analysing call documentation, including work programmes and applicants’ guides, and linking project activities with appropriate budget categories. Special attention was given to different cost calculation methods, including actual costs, unit costs and lump sums.
In addition to Ivana Tomašević, the programme featured Dr Snezana Kirin, who addressed project logic development, problem and target group identification, aligning project ideas with EU priorities, and improving the structure and quality of project proposals. The introductory session was delivered by Andrea Belloni, representative of the Enterprise Europe Network Tourism Sector Group.
An important part of the training was the interactive discussion, during which participants exchanged experiences, raised questions and explored practical challenges they face when supporting their clients. The discussion highlighted the importance of strengthening connections among EEN representatives and promoting the exchange of expertise within the Network.
One of the key conclusions concerned the upcoming Enterprise Europe Network Annual Conference in Dublin in November 2026, which will provide an important opportunity for enhanced networking, the establishment of new partnerships and connecting EEN representatives with complementary expertise and experience in project proposal development and writing. This approach can further strengthen the Network’s capacity to provide practical support to its clients, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, in identifying project partners and developing competitive applications for EU funding programmes.
The organisation and delivery of this training represent another contribution by the BSC Bar Foundation to strengthening the professional capacities of Enterprise Europe Network and fostering international cooperation. Through its active role in the MontEENegro Consortium, BSC Bar continues to support the connection of businesses with European programmes, expertise, partners and funding opportunities for development and innovation.
