Uplift Western Balkans
The project built on the excellent results of the previous Uplift Albania project, which was implemented with the support of SlovakAid (2019–2021) and the transfer of know-how from Slovakia’s startup ecosystem. The outcome was the creation of Albania’s first international startup program (https://uplift.al/), which, over two years of operation, established a network of dozens of mentors and experts, investors, and a strong brand recognized beyond Albania’s borders. The significant impact of the UPLIFT program subsequently attracted additional prominent partners (e.g., Vodafone and Raiffeisen) as well as other international donors (Switzerland and the EU). The program also generated substantial interest in other countries in the region.
The aim of the project was to expand the program to other Western Balkan countries, specifically Kosovo and North Macedonia. The project responded to the demand for this type of program and the interest of new local partner organizations in replicating UPLIFT’s success in Albania.
The Uplift Western Balkan project is co-financed by the Slovak Republic’s Official Development Assistance Program, SlovakAid.
The UPLIFT acceleration program prepared startups and young entrepreneurs for business through intensive and practical training. The training provided in-depth and focused education for cohorts of startups, aiming to develop their business operations as well as improve their ability to pitch their companies to attract investments and clients.
The project also focused on training program managers in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia through consultations with experts and managers of startup acceleration programs in Slovakia and the creation of a platform to foster relationships with program alumni.
Additionally, the project contributed to cross-cutting themes such as gender equality by supporting the inclusion of women entrepreneurs in the program. It also addressed environmental sustainability by supporting companies that offer solutions with a positive environmental impact.
The partners of the Uplift Western Balkans project were:
South East European University/Youth Resource Center – iCan (North Macedonia).
ALBICT (Albania)
Venture UP (Kosovo)