32 Scholarships Open for Small Entrepreneurs: Candidates from All Industries Can Apply for the First Time

After five generations and 168 scholarship recipients from all parts of Croatia, the Uplift Academy enters its sixth season with the biggest change since the program’s launch. For one of the 32 scholarships, micro, small, and medium-sized entrepreneurs can apply for the first time, regardless of the industry they operate in, thus expanding Mastercard’s educational program beyond its previous focus on tourism and other service sectors.

The expansion of the competition comes after five seasons during which the Uplift Academy, conducted by Algebra Bernays University, has continuously evolved based on the experiences and needs of its participants. Since its launch in 2021, scholarships have been awarded to 168 Croatian entrepreneurs, and satisfaction with the program remains exceptionally high as previous participants rate the Academy with an average score of 9.67 out of 10, with an NPS of 86.

– We launched Uplift five years ago at a time when entrepreneurs in tourism and service sectors needed very concrete support. Five generations later, we see that the issues they face, from finance and digitalization to finding customers, product development, marketing, and people management, are actually issues faced by almost every small entrepreneur. Therefore, the sixth season is not just a new cycle of the Academy for us, but an important step in the development of Uplift: for the first time, we are opening the knowledge, expert support, and community we have built to entrepreneurs from all industries – said Gea Kariž, director of Mastercard in Croatia.

More work on one’s own business, fewer generic examples

The Uplift Academy is a multi-month educational program that takes place online, allowing participants from all parts of Croatia to participate alongside their daily business obligations. In the sixth season, the program includes ten thematic modules through which participants gain knowledge in areas important for business development, including leadership, marketing, AI and new technologies, innovation and product development, finance, sustainability, and responsible business practices. Tourism remains one of the program’s themes due to its strong connection with many other sectors of the Croatian economy.

For the first three days of each module, all 32 scholarship recipients will go through the educational part together, while the last two days will be dedicated to consultations and working on their specific business situations and challenges. The goal is for the knowledge gained at the Academy not to remain theoretical, but for participants to apply it during the program to the decisions they make, the problems they solve, and the opportunities they want to seize in their own businesses.

Individual marketing support for each scholarship recipient

The new generation will also receive an additional form of individual support. Each scholarship recipient will be assigned a final-year marketing student from Algebra Bernays University who will work with them during the program on issues related to marketing and promoting their business.

In this way, the Academy further connects academic knowledge with the real needs of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Entrepreneurs receive additional support and a new perspective, while students have the opportunity to apply their knowledge to concrete business situations.

– The most valuable learning happens when knowledge leaves the classroom. Students here will not solve hypothetical marketing tasks, but will work with entrepreneurs who must find customers daily, present their product or service, build recognition, and develop their business. For students, this is an opportunity to work on real challenges, and for scholarship recipients, additional support and a fresh perspective on their own business. This connection between education and business practice is one of the values we want to further develop through the Uplift Academy – said Igor Kundić, advisor to the Management Board of Algebra Bernays University and head of the Uplift Academy.

Knowledge, but also a community that remains after the Academy

Along with education and mentoring support, an important part of the Uplift Academy from the beginning has been connecting entrepreneurs who go through similar challenges. Over five seasons, the program has developed into a broader platform that includes experience exchange, networking, and connecting members of the alumni community. Participants will also gather during the Academy for a two-day live program in Šibenik, which will open additional space for learning about business through lectures from experts in various fields, experience exchange, and socializing, as well as connecting entrepreneurs who often face similar challenges.

– It was especially important to me that the project did not remain just an inspiration, but provided concrete tools, new knowledge, and a feeling that as an entrepreneur, I am not alone. Uplift opened new perspectives for me, gave me additional confidence in my own project, and encouraged me to think more clearly about the growth and development of my business – says Antonija Nikolić, a participant in the fifth season of the Uplift Academy.

The Uplift Academy is the central educational program of the Uplift project that Mastercard launched in 2021 with the aim of providing knowledge, support, and opportunities for development to Croatian entrepreneurs.

Applications for 32 scholarships are open from August 31 to September 30, 2026, at midnight. Micro, small, and medium-sized entrepreneurs from all industries can apply, and the application form, program details, and competition rules are available on the platform Uplift.hr.