Today in Sarajevo, the SPRING Program – Strategic Partnership for Resilience, Innovation and New Generation – was officially launched. This three-year initiative is being implemented by Eda – Enterprise Development Agency, Mozaik Foundation, and the Sarajevo Regional Development Agency (SERDA), with support from Sweden.
SPRING aims to strengthen the resilience and systemic competitiveness of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s economy, focusing on startups, export-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), innovation, and the digital and green transition. The program will provide more than BAM 7 million in grant funding for companies, startups, and entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Swedish government is contributing BAM 5.6 million, with the remaining funds coming from the co-financing of 46 partner local communities across the country.
At the event, held at the Mozaik Startup Studio, the program’s key components and planned support for businesses and entrepreneurs were presented.
Addressing the participants, Ms. Birgitte Jansson, Head of Development Cooperation at the Embassy of Sweden in Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasized the program’s strategic importance:
“Through SPRING, we are further connecting the economies of Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina and creating more opportunities for BiH companies to become part of Swedish and European value chains. For the first time in BiH, we are establishing cooperation with Open Trade Gate Sweden, part of the Swedish National Board of Trade. Through training programs for SMEs, our goal is to help strengthen their capacity to export to the Swedish and EU markets. Over the next three years, more than BAM 5.6 million in non-repayable funds will be awarded to companies and entrepreneurs in BiH to strengthen their capacities and introduce innovations aimed at creating greater added value. We remain committed to building a more competitive economy in BiH and creating jobs that offer opportunities for young talents and skilled professionals to build their careers and future here.”
Speaking about the program’s focus on creating concrete examples of sustainable growth, Zdravko Miovčić, Director of Eda – Enterprise Development Agency, noted:
“We are launching the SPRING program to create, together with our partners and leading companies, a critical mass of demonstrative examples of smart and sustainable growth in BiH’s private sector – from innovation, product development, and smarter business models to green and digital transformation. We are placing special emphasis on the synergy between Swedish and local partners, young entrepreneurs’ startup companies, and export-oriented industrial SMEs. We are grateful to Sweden for the trust and support it has provided for over a decade in the implementation of economic development programs in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
The premise of the initiative is simple: good ideas and quality businesses grow faster when, in addition to capital, they have access to knowledge, resources, and the right partnerships. That’s why the support is designed to follow the entire development journey — from early entrepreneurial stages to strengthening exports and entering international markets.
Support is delivered through three concrete programs:
- Grants for the development of entrepreneurship and future skills,
- Support for export-oriented companies through the application of new technologies and internationalization of business,
- Strengthening competitiveness through innovation, modern management, and business networking.
More information about the SPRING program in the local language is available at www.spring.ba.
