SUPPORTING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
BOND 2 (Business Organisations Network Development 2)
Project description
The “Business Organization Network Development 2” project (hereinafter BOND 2) constitutes the direct continuation of the pilot initiative “Business Organization Network Development”, executed by HAMAG-BICRO between 1 July 2017 and 30 September 2019. The objective of BOND 2 is to further enhance the BOND Network (established in the first pilot phase), which currently comprises 96 entrepreneurial support institutions from all Croatian counties. Fifty institutions became members during the first phase, while additional institutions joined in the second phase pursuant to public calls conducted from July 2021 to January 2022.
The BOND Network operates as an association. An up-to-date register of members is published on the project’s official website: https://bond-hrvatska.hr/mreza-ppi/.
The Network delivers professional, advisory, and technical services to entrepreneurs at all stages of development and across all business sectors. Through these activities, it strives to reduce disparities in access to business knowledge, skills, partners, services, and information, and thereby contributes positively to the balanced economic development of all regions in Croatia.
Project Goal
General Objective
The overarching objective of the BOND 2 project is to contribute to an increase in entrepreneurial activity by fostering a more favourable business environment across all regions of Croatia, thereby promoting stable economic growth and sustainable development at the national level.
Specific Objective
The specific objective of the project is to enhance the operational quality of the BOND Network by establishing and implementing service standards for entrepreneurial support institutions, and developing a mentoring system tailored to entrepreneurs’ development stage, market position, business sector and other relevant characteristics. Special emphasis will be placed on ensuring a uniform BSOs' service quality throughout the country.
Project Activities
To achieve further consolidation and enhancement of the established Network, the project envisages the following activities:
- Selection of new Network members;
- Formal constitution of the BOND Network Association;
- Organization of regular meetings and thematic conferences;
- Integration into international networks;
- Capacity building for Network members through study visits, seminars, workshops and other national and international events.
The BOND Network is envisioned as a continuous platform for collaboration and capacity enhancement among its members via legal-formal association, organized logistical support, strengthening of business support organizations (BSO) competencies, development, standardization, and implementation of new service offerings, as well as formulating new policy support measures.
Critical activities delivering the main results of BOND 2 will include raising the quality of BSO services, establishing five mentoring networks and strengthening mentor competencies.
To enhance the Network’s visibility and recognition and to raise awareness of its importance and role, promotional activities are planned which will highlight key events and efforts of all Network members at the national level.
In order to monitor and evaluate project outcomes, the electronic platform will be upgraded and a mechanism for periodic evaluation of effectiveness will be introduced via systematic result assessment.
Expected Results
- Sixty entrepreneurial support institutions will have been incorporated into the BOND Network.
- Three new standardized services will be developed under the project.
- Fifteen entrepreneurial support institutions will receive certification through the project.
- A network of fifty mentors will be established.
- Five mentor networks will be operational.
- Certified entrepreneurial support institutions that are members of the BOND Network will cover eleven counties.
Project duration: 40 months (2020–2023)
Total project value: 6.636.140,42 EUR.
