Ten entrepreneurs selected to receive a total of EUR 50,000 for business development in Start Something of Your Own programme.
Since the competition began, 48 Croatian entrepreneurs have received over EUR 655,000
Zagreb, 15 May 2023 – For the seventh year in a row, the ACT Group’s and Philip Morris Zagreb’s “Start Something of Your Own” programme is supporting Croatian microenterprises and entrepreneurs who channel their work into socially beneficial projects. Ten entrepreneurs were selected for a mentorship programme, followed by a grant in the total amount of EUR 50,000, all to help them grow and develop their business. This year’s chosen entrepreneurs are: Arya Intimo, IDDI, Green Energy Pal, Reducos Software, JouJou, Ri Rock, Red Fork, Tiflotehna, Pakra and Slaven Abdović – BeDry.
Over the next six months, the entrepreneurs will develop their business with the support and mentorship of ACT Group experts, including in the form of business analysis, one-on-one mentoring, webinars, membership in the alumni community, promotional video filming and media visibility work. Following the six-month mentorship programme, the five top entrepreneurs will receive a EUR 7000 grant, while the other five finalists will receive EUR 3000.
The aim of the “Start Something Of Your Own” programme is to empower entrepreneurs looking to have a positive impact on society and the environment, whether they are start-ups or established businesses that are developing new services, processes, business models or additional lines of business. The programme is recognised by entrepreneurs and garners ever more interest every year, with 361 applications submitted this year, of which 30 moved forward to the next round. The most important criterion for choosing the ten winners was their sustainability and potential for making a positive impact on society.
“One of the fundamental principles of our business and transformation is sustainability, which is also an opportunity for innovation, growth and the creation of long-term values. With this in mind, we are extremely proud of our ongoing contribution to empowering microenterprises in Croatia through our programme, and it is a great pleasure to see new jobs being created and new products being developed through the programme, along with investments in new equipment, infrastructure, production processes and facilities. I would like to congratulate this year’s winners, and I am looking forward to seeing this programme continue to contribute to a more sustainable and fairer future,” said Dijana Najjar Raškaj, programme coordinator for “Start Something Of Your Own”.
(Dijana Najjar Raškaj and Ana Brigović)
The “Start Something Of Your Own” project was launched in 2016, with 38 companies having received mentorship opportunities and financial support in the total amount of EUR 655,000 since then, an investment by Philip Morris into supporting entrepreneurs.
Ana Brigović, head of the Programme for supporting impact entrepreneurs “Start Something Of Your Own” at ACT Group had this to say: “The social return on the programme has in the previous years tripled compared to the financial resources invested into the programme so far. The quality of applications keeps increasing every year and we are sorry that we cannot select more winners, as there are some extremely valuable and excellent entrepreneurial projects. We have ten exceptional entrepreneurs, who we are looking forward to working with, and we are excited to have the privilege of following their development and being part of their entrepreneurial journey. The winners will now embark on a six-month accelerated and intensive support programme, where they will work on developing their business and compete for the final reward. The five winners will receive a grant of EUR 7000, while the other five entrepreneurs will be awarded EUR 3000.
Winners of the 7th “Start Something Of Your Own” programme receiving mentorship and financial support
- ARYA INTIMO d.o.o.
Arya Intimo is a shop that sells clothes such as bathing suits and bras for oncology patients who have undergone a mastectomy and provides them with post-operative support.
- IDDI d.o.o.
Roll+ is a digital platform for vehicle rental, providing hardware built into the vehicles and an app for renters.
- Green Energy Pal
Green Energy Pal, made by Enpulse, is a complete ICT system for measuring and monitoring energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency, reducing energy costs and the user’s ecological footprint.
- Reducos Software
This young innovative team from Osijek has developed an advanced software solution for short supply chains. The platform is aimed at family farms and serves as a market for end buyers, logistics solution, inventory and order management system, delivery route optimisation service and administrative system.
- JouJou vl. Nikolina Firm
JouJou produces natural cosmetics such as face and body oils, balms and soaps based on ecological and sustainable production principles.
- Ri Rock j.d.o.o.
Ri Rock manages the Rock Academy in Rijeka, which, in addition to music lessons, also offers STEAM workshops that combine science and art by designing and developing music gadgets, apps and instruments, using innovative technologies in music and old music components and parts.
- RED FORK j.d.o.o.
Red Fork from Varaždin offers a complete solution for managing school and kindergarten kitchens and optimising the nutritional value of menus. Thanks to the dedicated work of the team, 5000 children in Croatia today enjoy healthy meals in schools and kindergartens.
- Tiflotehna d.o.o.
Tiflotehna produces eyewear, space-marking solutions and signage for the blind. Thanks to this company’s signage and space-marking solutions, blind and visually impaired people can move and orient themselves within spaces more easily.
- Pakra d.o.o.
This company from Split is developing a streaming platform for culture and artists that focuses on early-career artists, giving them the opportunity to build a relationship with audiences around the world.
- Slaven Abdović
Slaven Abdović is a nephrologist whose BeDry app addresses the problem of urinary incontinence. Thanks to an online diary that keeps track of urination and liquid consumption, the application enables the cause of urinary incontinence to be detected, with the option to share the data with your doctor.
This article was produced in paid partnership with Phillip Morris Zagreb for https://pokreninestosvoje.hr/
