Business ideas of seven young entrepreneurs from different parts of Serbia won the supERSTEp Competition, launched by Erste Bank in cooperation with the National Employment Service and with the support of the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, as well as the Ministry of Youth and Sport.
A total of 18 candidates applied for supERSTEp self-employment loans, and Nikola Milanović from Kraljevo, Elena Krleski from Jagodina, Milan Stojković from Bor, Aleksandra Popović from Sombor, Mlađen Burdelj from Kruševac, Jan Privizer from Novi Sad and Marija Radulović from Kraljevo convinced the committee that their business ideas have the best chance of success.
Both service and production activities are among the selected ideas, and the winners come from various parts of Serbia. Jan Privizer will use the loan for starting a company engaged in the production and processing of hemp seeds, Nikola Milanović and Aleksandra Popović will use it for opening dental offices, and Milan Stojković for the provision of tourist management, marketing and promotion services. Elena Krleski plans to engage in the production of finished textile products with folk art features and Marija Radulović in the production of hand-made doilies, bed sheets, pillows, towels, napkins and slippers, while Mlađen Burdelj will take his chance processing plastics.
Erste Bank will finance their start-ups with RSD 2,350,000 in total under special terms – with no fee, at a lower interest rate (1M Belibor + 4% p.a.) and with a longer repayment period (up to 36 months with a 6-month grace period).
The supERSTEp Project is intended for educated, unemployed young people in Serbia. The pilot project was implemented in partnership with the National Employment Service and with the support of the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development and the Ministry of Youth and Sport. The idea of the programme is to encourage young people to become active in solving the problem of unemployment in Serbia and to improve financial inclusion.
Programme goal
The goal of the supERSTEp Programme is to support educated and unemployed young people who want to start their own business. Erste Bank will grant 10 supERSTEp loans of up to RSD 500,000 each under particularly favourable terms for the candidates selected in the selection process.
The main criteria for the application:
- that the persons are up to 30 years of age;
- that they are unemployed and registered with the National Employment Service or that they submitted an application for self-employment grant in 2011;
- that they have at least postsecondary school degree,
- that they submit a business plan.
