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The Croatian Agency for Small Business, Innovation and Investment (HAMAG-BICRO) has established the BOND (Business Organisations Network Development) project, which consists of the BOND Network comprising 96 entrepreneurial support institutions across Croatia. These include development agencies, business incubators and accelerators, incubators for new technologies, science and technology parks, and competence centers.
In addition to developing new and standardizing existing services for entrepreneurs at various stages of business, a mentor network has been established in the second phase of the project (BOND 2), a unique national network in Croatia that encompasses more than 200 mentors. Since the announcement of the Public Call, the mentor network has generated significant interest among entrepreneurs as well as among mentors from all regions of Croatia who eagerly joined the initiated wave of knowledge exchange.
Results of the Mentor Network Service Testing
In just a few months of testing this new service, more than 500 entrepreneurs have been involved, and over 4,000 hours of mentoring have been conducted, with entrepreneurs averaging 15 hours of mentoring. Mentors have averaged over 30 hours of mentoring, and the market value of this service exceeds 300,000 euros. The testing phase of the mentor network service is nearing its end, and given the mentioned indicators, it can be confidently stated that the implementation of this new, completely free service for entrepreneurs has exceeded all expectations.
Experiences of Entrepreneurs in Mentoring
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—Gracija Požar runs a family farm for horse breeding in Suknovci in Promina and sought mentoring support to introduce additional services into her business.
– It was a pleasure for me to participate in the HAMAG-BICRO project, the mentor network. Together with the mentors, I prepared extensively for a successful continuation of the business. I sincerely hope that we will stay in touch for further collaboration in another field. If a similar project arises soon, I would certainly apply again – stated Gracija Požar about her experience using the mentor services.
