The competition [[nt]]MENTOR AWARD[[/nt]] 2026 – Best Mentor Competition was held on October 9, 2026, at the ABBA Hotel in Belgrade. The event brought together mentors from regional development agencies across Serbia, who had the opportunity to showcase their knowledge, experience, and results in providing mentoring support to entrepreneurs and business entities through case study presentations.
The title of Best Mentor for 2026 was awarded to Nikola Vujinović, a mentor from the Regional Agency for Economic Development and European Integration Belgrade.
The program opened with participant registration and a welcome drink, followed by introductory remarks from representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), regional development agencies, and the Development Agency of Serbia. Speakers included Chigiru Yamashita from the JICA Balkan Office; Amina Nikšić Kurtanović from ARRA SEDA, the 2025 Best Mentor in the startup mentoring category; Biljana Stojanović from ARRA VEEDA, the 2025 Best Mentor in the established business mentoring category; and Ana Žegarac from the Development Agency of Serbia.
The central part of the event consisted of case study presentations, during which the participating mentors presented examples from their work. The presenters were:
* Dejan Nenadović from ARRA Banat, Zrenjanin
* Nikolina Pupavac from ARRA Bačka, Novi Sad
* Nikola Vujinović from ARRA RAREI, Belgrade
* Nermin Čarovac from ARRA SEDA, Novi Pazar
* Snežana Nedeljković from ARRA VEEDA, Vranje
* Miloš Najčević from ARRA Braničevo-Podunavlje, Požarevac
Following each presentation, a Q&A session was held, allowing for further discussion of the cases presented and an exchange of experiences among the participants.
After the presentations and the accompanying program concluded, the voting results were publicly announced, followed by the declaration of the 2026 Best Mentor. The winner, Nikola Vujinović brought recognition to the Regional Agency for Economic Development and European Integration Belgradeacknowledging the importance of professional and dedicated work in the field of mentoring.
The competition [[nt]]MENTOR AWARD[[/nt]] is an opportunity to affirm the mentoring profession, exchange knowledge and experience, and promote high-quality examples of business development support. Such events further emphasize the importance of mentors in enhancing the business capacities of entrepreneurs, overcoming business challenges, and creating a foundation for long-term and sustainable economic development.
Congratulations to Nikola Vujinović on winning the title and achieving this success!
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