December 10, 2021 - Rent A Local founder Anđela Prnjak was awarded first at the 3rd StartIT 2021 IT startup academy in Split!

In the Spinit Technology Incubator, Split-Dalmatia County Prefect Blaženko Boban presented awards to founders/teams of the seven-best projects of the 3rd StartIT 2021 IT startup academy organized by ICT County and startup community "Digital Dalmatia", reports Dalmacija Danas.

This year's academy, organized through an eight-week intensive professional entrepreneurship education of the third StartIT @ PICS, was attended by 12 teams and their innovative projects that meet some of the most current challenges of today.

The seven best were selected and awarded at this final StartIT Demo Day. The teams presented their ideas to the jury, which were evaluated according to the set criteria. Then, the most successful were announced and awards were given.

One of the participants in the jury was Ena Melvan, the author of last year's StartIT winning project, who spoke about the criteria when choosing the winner.

"The selection criteria were how the problem was researched, how urgent the solution is, the quality of the market, the scaling potential, the ability to perform and the quality of participation in the academy."

Prefect Blaženko Boban reminded that a few years ago, it was said that these jobs would be the future and that today they are the present.

"This is happening at the moment. Our county has recognized this and through this academy has provided funding to find young people in 8 weeks who have the will and desire to start a business through the IT sector," the prefect concluded.

The head of the "ICT County" project, Damir Brčić, said that last year's experiences were extremely positive.

"They were the reason for us to go further this year. Namely, out of 15 teams that participated last year, 7 opened their companies and crafts. Funds for business development have never been larger. However, there is a lack of entrepreneurial spirit, ideas and new companies," said Brčić.

Anđela Prnjak of Rent A Local won the first prize and took home 15,000 kuna.

"Our team and local experts help foreigners move through bureaucracy and find an apartment, and during their stay, we connect them with local freelancers, run the administration for them and take care of details that only the locals know. Rent A Local allows foreigners to enjoy the best that Croatia has to offer, and for everything else, we are here."

Prnjak and Rent A Local are also CROMADS official partners.

Bojan Vuina won the second prize (10,000 kuna) for the Sportever project - a platform that motivates people to leave their homes and play the sports they love.

The third prize (5,000 kuna) was awarded to five projects: Crowdhome by Josip Janković; SyncBook by Frane Križanović, Branimir Bilić and Krešimir Levarda; DonatQR by Michele Freer, Marija Domikulić, Matej Kožica, Josip Bartulović, Adrian Dijan and Veselko Sprčić; Info Point by Mislav Čizmić and Adriatic Quest by Ana Ban, Josip Šimić, Ante Čepić and Branimir Šilović.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

August 23, 2020 - Moving to a new country comes with a world of challenges, and the potential language barrier isn't the only thing you'll have to overcome. Meet Rent A Local, a new online platform launched in Split to facilitate all of your expat needs. 

Croatia is a dream for foreigners thanks to the sun, sparkling Adriatic Sea, untouched nature, UNESCO heritage and laidback lifestyle. For many, it is heaven on earth, that is, until you have to face the beast that is Croatian bureaucracy.

But what if we told you that these obstacles can now be overcome with the help of a new online platform that is here to serve you and all of your expat needs, from hiring a translator or lawyer to having your hand held through the long and painful residency or citizenship process?

And that's not all. 

"We're a group of local experts helping foreign citizens. Rent a local and let him help you with your every need. Whether it is a lawyer, a plumber, to schedule a trip or anything else. Enjoy the best things in Croatia - we'll handle the stressful ones!" 

TCN met up with Andela Prnjak, the brains behind Rent A Local, to find out more. 

"A few years ago, I came up with this entire idea and the name. I mean, Rent A Local is such a simple and cool name that already tells you everything you need to know. I have a lot of friends who are expats, as well as my boyfriend, and I know the troubles they have to go through. After I went through a lot of the processes with my boyfriend, I learned very quickly that this was anything but easy for expats to do alone. 

I am a producer here with 10 years of experience, and I have worked on a lot of documentaries, movies, commercials and series in Croatia, mostly with international companies, which also gave me a lot of knowledge in this field. I have to work through Croatian bureaucracy often, and if I don't know the answer to something, I find people who do. Now, I have an enormous group of people here that I can trust and will get things done," said Prnjak, who added that she could even hire magicians or helicopters for you, should you require such a service. 

"Because my job always required me to push my boundaries, I am now able to take on most of the challenges in Croatia."

When Croatia went on lockdown back in March because of the coronavirus pandemic, Prnjak realized she had a bit more time on her hands - and it was the ideal time to launch Rent A Local. 

"And now, anything you need, from planning a wedding to hiring a boat, or getting your residence permit, we can do. We will link you up with the expert in their field to help you with whatever you need. We won't just set you up with someone doing this for the first time. We have collected experts that we trust, and we promise you won't experience any trouble or encounter any problems," Prnjak added. 

"Everyone we work with is mostly Croatian, though we also know some expats here that are qualified to help you as well. In our first year, we are only going to focus on Croatia, but we plan to expand into other countries in the region. While we are now mostly promoting this service for people in Croatia, because I have worked as a producer in the entire Balkan region, we can potentially help you with your needs in Bosnia or Serbia, too."

Rent A Local will offer a variety of agreements. Whether you want someone to hold your hand through the entire residency process, or just need to consult a lawyer for advice, anything is possible with Rent A Local. 

"Whatever your problem is, you tell us, and we will handle it how we think best!"

Apartment hunting is always a challenging process for expats. If you're clueless about where to live or are worried the landlord will take advantage of you, there is a lot more you'll have to consider than the price. 

"At Rent A Local, our experts will help you find the apartment, our lawyers will look at the contract, and we will protect you in every way we can."

So, what is the craziest thing they'll do for you?

"For now, all of our inquiries have been for one person that has one specific need, but I am really excited about taking on a group that has a lot of specific needs. And we are talking about something even more challenging than Croatian bureaucracy!" Prnjak says with enthusiasm. 

To conclude, Prnjak sends a message to the expats of Croatia.

"What I have to say to expats is that Croatia is a beautiful country with a great quality of life, but there are just some things that are not worth your stress. So, we are here to help you with that! We want you to take the best of Croatia - and don't worry about the rest."

Whether your an expat in Croatia or a local who doesn't want to go through some of these painful processes, Rent A Local is ready to take on your needs. 

You can learn more about Rent A Local on their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram! 

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