Deadline: September 30, 2025
The Women’s Entrepreneurship Support Program invites women across Montenegro to strengthen their economic independence and develop sustainable businesses through training, mentoring, and financial support.
The focus areas of the program include development and promotion of sustainable businesses run by women, increasing the employability of women through vocational training, improving institutional and social conditions for women’s entrepreneurship, and strengthening the capacity of local stakeholders for gender-sensitive policies.
This initiative, part of the EWI project – Economic Inclusion and Justice for Women in the Western Balkans – is implemented by CARE Balkans in cooperation with ENECA (Serbia), LINK (BiH), Strategic Development Consulting (North Macedonia), and IPC Tehnopolis (Montenegro), with financial support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). Women over 18 years of age who have a business idea, a registered business they wish to improve, or are ready to start a new business in manufacturing, services, or agriculture are eligible to apply. Priority is given to women from marginalized and vulnerable groups, including women with disabilities, long-term unemployed women, members of national minorities, single mothers, young women under 30, women aged 50+, and women from rural areas.
Participants will receive a comprehensive training cycle titled “Start/Improve Your Business,” which combines theoretical and practical components and includes the creation of a business plan. Following the training, an expert committee will select the best business ideas for financial support, which includes grants of EUR 2,500 for basic working equipment or EUR 5,000 for improving existing businesses, along with advisory, professional, and business management support. Mentoring will be provided to assist with marketing, human resources, procurement, pricing, and other essential business operations.
Supported businesses will also benefit from opportunities to connect with markets, financial institutions, and decision-makers, as well as visibility and promotion through project activities and networks of women entrepreneurs. The program does not fund used equipment, livestock, production materials, or equipment for commercial shops.
Applications are submitted online or via offline forms delivered in person or by mail. Candidates must demonstrate motivation, relevant education and experience, analytical thinking, and a clear business idea. Info sessions will be organized in local communities to provide detailed guidance on the application process, criteria, and selection.
The deadline for applications is September 30, 2025, at midnight. The program encourages diversity and inclusion, inviting women from vulnerable and marginalized groups to apply and seize the opportunity to start or strengthen their own businesses.
For more information, visit CARE Balkans.
