Belgrade, November 14, 2023 - The "MENTOR AWARD," recognizing the most accomplished mentors in Serbia, this year was presented in two categories: start-ups and mature enterprises. In the category of mentors for start-up Company, Ljiljana Marković from the Regional Agency for Development and European Integration in Belgrade was chosen, while in the mentor for mature enterprise category, Dobrila Sudimac Mratinković from the Center for Development of the Jablanica and Pčinja Districts received the award.

The "Mentor Award" ceremony featured the presentation of the best mentoring practices in Serbia, highlighting mentors who provided valuable services to businesses. This event allowed mentors not only to showcase their projects and the challenges they encountered but also to share the solutions they applied to address specific issues. Ana Žegarac, the project manager, emphasized that the exchange of these on-the-ground experiences has proven to be the most effective way to enhance the work of all mentors.

The awards were presented to the winners by Hajime Fukuda, Deputy Chief of the JICA Balkan Office, Ana Žegarac, Project Manager of RAS-JICA from the Development Agency of Serbia, and Shinjiro Kato, JICA expert for the SME Project.

The two-day mentor gathering and award ceremony are part of the project "Strengthening and Expanding the Mentoring Service for   Small and Medium Enterprises in the Western Balkan Countries." This initiative represents the fifth project in a longstanding 17-year collaboration between the Development Agency of Serbia and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).