On 12 February 2026, a conference “EmBRACE – EU Support for Ideas that Make a Difference” was held in Podgorica, organized by The Chamber of Economy of Montenegro. The event was dedicated to presenting successful projects implemented by micro and small enterprises through the first EmBRACE call.
The conference aimed to showcase concrete results achieved by partner companies from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. As noted by the Chamber’s President, Dr. Nina Drakic, the supported projects have moved beyond the conceptual stage and have become new products, digital solutions, and modern business models. Milos Markovic from the Ministry of European Affairs emphasized that successful project stories demonstrate the essence of European support for regional cooperation that leads to tangible results.
Among the Montenegrin companies presenting their project outcomes, Ms. Slavica Markovic, CEO of Stat Pro LLC, Podgorica (Montenegro), introduced the project A Companion for Sustainable Business Development – CompaniESGuide. The project was implemented in cooperation with Okviri znanja LLC, Karlovac (Croatia), and Finrar LLC, Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
The conference confirmed that European funding, combined with local expertise and regional cooperation, can contribute to the development of new business solutions and strengthen the capacity of micro and small enterprises to participate in international projects.
The EmBRACE project is implemented under the Interreg VI-A IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2021–2027. Its objective is to enhance the competitiveness of micro and small enterprises through cooperation, innovation, and the adoption of new business solutions. The project is led by HAMAG-BICRO – The Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovation and Investments.