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Green Ideas 2022 is open for applications
With live stream from Cucer Sandevo, from the premises of Rakatrak – Educational Center for Life Skills and local green business, on February 23rd “ARNO” , through a hybrid event, marked the beginning of the competition for Green Ideas and invited citizens to apply with their green business ideas until April 26th. Applications for the competition and all information are available on the website: https://zeleniidei.mk.
“The last green business that came back with an award from the regional competition (O-Krug) is an idea that, although it was not officially registered, had a prototype and we expect to soon have on the market natural air fresheners from orange peels from this startup soon. We once again stress to all potential applicants to use the time until the end of the competition, to join the workshops we offer and to develop good quality applications, which will show the sincere intentions, but also the specific products and services they will offer. We have to work on strong business models with market strategies, which will certainly have values from green and social entrepreneurship,” said Irina Janevska from ARNO.
This year, guided by the pandemic needs and lessons for digitalization, ARNO will award 3 laptops for the ideas that will be selected in the finals as three Macedonian winning ideas. Additional support will be provided by the partners: MKA2000, Macedonia 2025 and the Economic Chamber of North-West Macedonia. For all those who need support in developing the application, ARNO organizes workshops that are open for registration.
“We have good examples of Macedonian small, green businesses and that is why at this promotional event we are guests of one of our national winners from 2019. We want to show that green ideas need to be lived, and we want to see that reflected in the applications. We have to think locally, and here, through field visits and various events to encourage citizens to seek support for their ideas. The symbolism of the location of this event and the inclusion from the slopes of Skopska Crna Gora is due to the project for cross-border cooperation with Serbia “Social Enterprises for Economic Development and Social Inclusion” (SEEDS of Inclusiveness), funded by the European Union. This project aims to further animate the local population and support the development of green social businesses by organizing an Academy of Social Economy and a mini competition for social / green ideas open only to the regions of the two borders. We appeal to the citizens to use all opportunities and provided support,” said Jasmina Said from ARNO.
“Green Ideas” is an annual competition that supports the development of small, locally sustainable business ideas in the Western Balkans and Greece. Each year, three representatives from each country compete in a regional competition. The four representatives who win the regional competition receive $ 10,000 or $ 5,000 each to implement the idea in their own country. The details of the competition can be found on the website https://zeleniidei.mk/.
