Competition for the best mentor - "Mentor Award 2025"

Belgrade, November 6, 2025 - "Mentor Award 2025", a competition that annually gathers and rewards mentors who have contributed to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the provision of standardized mentoring services, was organized in Belgrade. The prizes were awarded in two categories - for startups and for mature companies - as part of the long-standing program of standardized mentoring support implemented by the Development Agency of Serbia (RAS) in cooperation with JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). regional development of the Rasin district - KruševacAmina Nikšić Kurtanović, Regional Development Agency Sandžak - SEDAVladan Rosić, Regional Development Agency "Zlatibor" - UžiceIn the category of mentoring for mature companies, case studies were presented by:Ljiljana Marković, Regional Agency for Development and European Integration, BelgradeMaria Prokopić, Regional Development Agency Bačka - Novi SadBiljana Stojanović, Regional Development Agency of Pčinj District - VranjeDragana Belenzada, Center for Development of Jablanica and Pčinj Districts - LeskovacDuring the event, the mentors presented their experiences from practice, the challenges they encountered and the solutions they implemented to help businesses overcome obstacles and improve business. This exchange of examples from practice has once again proven to be the most effective way to improve the quality of mentoring work in SerbiaThe best mentors were chosen by evaluating their colleagues - mentors from the audience And the title of the best mentor in the category of mentoring for beginners was taken by Amina Kurtanović Nikšić, a certified mentor of the Regional Development Agency SEDA - Novi Pazar, for the case of standardized mentoring services in the company "Avis Žičana žeža" doo, Novi Pazar.Biljana Stojanović from the Regional Development Agency VEEDA - Vranje was declared the best mentor in the category of mentoring for mature companies, for mentoring work with the company "Radulović M&S doo" from Vranje.In the name of the jury, which consisted of Natasha Jovanović (last year's winner in the category of mentoring for startups), Lila Nađ Fodor (winner of 2024 in the category of mentoring of mature SMEs), Ana Žegarac (project manager, RAS), Srđan Beljan (deputy manager of the RAS project) and Shinichiro Kato (JICA expert for SME project), the awards were presented to the winners by Ana Žegarac and Shinichiro Kato.The "Mentor Award" ceremony once again highlighted the importance of knowledge exchange, professional training and cooperation among mentors who, with their engagement, contribute to the strengthening of the business ecosystem of Serbia and the sustainable development of small and medium-sized enterprises.