A micro-enterprise from Podgorica, specialized in marketing and PR, has become one of the recipients of non-refundable funds through the EmBRACE project. This enabled them to collaborate with Croatian partners in expanding the market for the innovative application “ScanEat.”
“My company was founded back in 2008, and after years of experience in marketing, colleagues from Split who were looking for exactly this type of company from Montenegro reached out to me. We prepared the application for the EmBRACE call together, and luckily – the project was approved,” says the agency’s founder, Ljubica Kostić Bukarica.
The ScanEat app, available on the Google Play Store, allows users to scan barcodes on products to receive information about ingredients and potential allergens. It is especially suitable for people with specific dietary needs – such as allergies to gluten, nuts, or other ingredients.
“We are now expanding the product database to Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina and working on digitalizing our services. Most importantly – through the project, we are developing regional contacts for further expansion and strengthening cooperation,” adds Ljubica.
EmBRACE is a grant scheme for financing cooperation between micro and small enterprises in the cross-border area: Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro, within the Interreg VI-A IPA Programme 2021–2027. A Small Project Fund was established within this programme, targeting micro and small enterprises as final beneficiaries. The public call for submitting cooperation project proposals for micro and small enterprises in the specified cross-border area was published by the Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovation and Investments (HAMAG-BICRO). The project runs until February 2029, with a total value of €11.7 million, of which €10 million is co-financed by the European Union.
In the first call, €3 million was provided from the ERDF and IPA III funds of the European Union for projects from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, with EU co-financing amounting to up to 85%, while project beneficiaries contributed only 15%. The call was open from June 18 to September 17, 2024.
A total of 66 micro and small enterprises received funding: 24 from Croatia, 23 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 19 from Montenegro. Montenegrin micro and small enterprises, participating in 19 projects, have €1,095,454.60 of EU funds available for their activities.
Ljubica points out that, thanks to her previous work in the NGO sector, she already had experience in project writing: “That’s why this process felt natural to me. EmBRACE is truly designed for us – micro and small enterprises. All you need is one employee and a positive balance sheet to meet the basic criteria. There are no complicated conditions,” Ljubica emphasizes.
She adds that hiring external consultants made the process even easier – from preparing the application to reporting: “It may seem complicated to some, but truly – with expert support, everything goes quickly and smoothly.”
The example of a specialized marketing and PR firm from Podgorica shows how even the smallest businesses can achieve big goals when the right conditions and support are provided. Projects like EmBRACE not only provide funding but also empower local businesses to become competitive in the regional and European markets.
All information about the EmBRACE project can be found at:
https://cbchb.eu/cbc-cro-bih-mne/embrace/
and
https://hamagbicro.hr/bespovratne-potpore/embrace/.
A new call for project submissions will be published in autumn 2025.