Inclusive Entrepreneurship – Is There Room in the Market?

The Association Center for Value Development, as a non-profit organization operating in the Croatian market, has launched the project ‘Inclusive Entrepreneurship – Continuation of Good Practice in Promoting Entrepreneurship and Employment of Persons with Disabilities’ which commenced implementation on October 1 of this year. The goal of the project, funded by the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, is to encourage the active inclusion of young people with disabilities into the world of work and entrepreneurship through a series of educational, advisory, and motivational activities.

The project is being implemented in collaboration and partnership with the Center for Education and Upbringing Dubrava and the Regional Offices of the Croatian Employment Service in Zagreb and Sisak.

Within the two-year implementation period of the project, through various educational programs and workshops, participants have the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to start their own business, as well as to understand all aspects of business planning, financial literacy, and market adaptation. The project enables them, with the professional support of mentors and trainers, to lay the foundations for independent business operations and recognize their own potential in the entrepreneurial environment.

As part of the project, the Center is also conducting a media campaign aimed at employers and the general public, with the goal of sensitizing the economic sector to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labor market. The campaign aims to demonstrate that persons with disabilities, with adequate support and opportunity, can be equally successful employees and entrepreneurs as those without disabilities.

In addition to education, the project includes coaching for professional development aimed at persons with disabilities. Through an individual approach and professional support, participants receive guidance for career development, confidence building, and more active engagement in the labor market – either through self-employment or through employment with other employers.

The Inclusive Entrepreneurship Project continues the good practice of promoting social inclusion and economic empowerment of persons with disabilities, with a clear message that an inclusive labor market is not only a social obligation but also an opportunity for economic growth and innovation.