The Launching Conference of the YES DO IT project

On Friday, 4 October 2024, in the premises of the Novi Sad Youth Forum, the Launching Conference of the YES DO IT project was held, financed under the Interreg VI-A IPA Programme Croatia-Serbia 2021-2027. The project, which lead partner is the European Youth Center of Vojvodina, aims to create innovative and sustainable support for young entrepreneurs in rural areas, with a focus on the use of new technologies and the green economy.

The conference was opened by Goran Ostojić, the project manager, who presented the main goals and activities of the project to those present. He emphasized the importance of supporting young people living in rural areas and emphasized that YES DO IT will provide key tools and knowledge needed for the successful development of business ideas. Ostojić added that this project is innovative because it relies on information and communication technologies (ICT), as well as on green practices that are increasingly present in modern business. The project will last 15 months – in the period from 1 July 2024 until 30 September 2025. The total project budget is EUR 258,866.00

After the official speeches, the attendees visited the premises of the Novi Sad Youth Forum, intended for young people, where they were presented with the planned activities and work on the project. Participants had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the workspace and tools that will be available to them during the project.

As part of the conference, the project team also held a regular meeting, where operational plans for the implementation of the project until the end of 2024 were discussed. During the meeting, the next stages of the project were discussed, including the organization of trainings that will enable young entrepreneurs from rural communities to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to start their own business, as well as topics related to public procurement procedures within the project and reporting cycles.

After the formal part and the meeting, the members of the project team and the participants of the conference used the opportunity to socialize and get to know the City of Novi Sad better. This informal gathering enabled the partners from Serbia and Croatia to build stronger ties and further strengthen the foundations for future cooperation, both within the YES DO IT project and through other initiatives that will contribute to the development of entrepreneurship and youth work in the cross-border region.