Five days of learning, teamwork, new connections and developing first business ideas concluded with student project presentations at the Entrepreneurship Academy for Girls from vocational secondary schools in Sarajevo. Students from Gračanica, Hadžići and Zenica spent the week learning how to identify problems in their communities, turn them into business opportunities and develop solutions with real value.
Held from 21 to 25 September 2026, the Academy gave them an opportunity to explore entrepreneurship through practical work: identifying problems and customer needs, developing a business idea, and considering customers, revenue, costs and sustainability.
The highlight of the five-day programme was the presentation of the ideas the girls had developed during the Academy. At the final Demo Day, the teams presented their solutions, explained the problems they wanted to address and described how their ideas could work in practice. For many, it was their first experience presenting their own business idea in public.
“The Academy gave the girls an opportunity to learn outside the classroom, in a different way, and to work together to turn ideas into projects and business concepts. As a trainer, it was particularly rewarding to see their creativity, energy and confidence grow day by day,” said trainer Velid Begović.
From their initial ideas to the final presentations, the students worked in teams and learned to question their assumptions, listen to others, share responsibilities and make decisions together. The focus was on taking ideas beyond the concept stage: shaping them into concrete solutions and explaining who they were for and why someone would use or buy them.
The students from the three cities described the experience from different perspectives, but shared a sense that the Academy had given their ideas room to grow.
The students from Hadžići said the Academy helped them understand where an idea begins:
“During the Academy, we realised that an idea starts with a problem we notice around us. Working together, we learned how to develop a solution and make a plan to put it into practice. It meant a lot to us that we could ask questions and receive support for our proposals. Now we want to keep developing our idea and see what we can make of it.”
The students from Gračanica especially valued the practical work and team experience:
“What meant the most to us was being able to apply everything we learned to our idea straight away. As a team, we listened to one another, discussed our options and looked for solutions together. Conversations with women entrepreneurs helped us understand what starting a business is really like. We are leaving Sarajevo with new knowledge, friendships and greater confidence in presenting what we have created.”
For the students from Zenica, the Academy was an opportunity to better understand what goes into developing a business idea and to share their experience with their peers:
“The Academy showed us how much needs to be considered to make an idea a reality, from customer needs to pricing and costs. We are glad that our work will continue after the camp, with support from mentors and our teachers. We want to share what we have learned with other girls at school and prepare together to present our idea in November.”
For Dženisa Delalić of the Association of Business Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this process demonstrated the value of the programme.
“We are proud that GIZ, through co-financing from the German Government, the European Union and the Swiss Government, found in the Association of Business Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina a partner that recognises the value of investing in the knowledge and potential of young girls. Over these five days, they showed initiative, leadership and a willingness to develop solutions together for problems they see in their communities. They will now continue their journey with mentors, and what they have shown gives us strong encouragement to continue this pilot programme and offer the same opportunity to new generations,” Delalić said.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
The entrepreneurial experience extended beyond the classroom. During the Academy, the students visited Sarajevo City Hall, where they met the Mayor of Sarajevo, as well as the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Municipality of Centar’s Centre of Excellence in Entrepreneurship.
Through the “Coffee with a Woman Entrepreneur” sessions, they also spoke with women running their own businesses, including Melisa Hujić, the entrepreneur behind the Etiquette brand. These conversations gave the students a chance to hear first-hand about the first steps in entrepreneurship, the challenges entrepreneurs face, and the importance of persistence, learning and adapting when developing a business idea.
After the girls presented their ideas, Arend Müller, First Secretary and Head of the Economic Affairs and Development Cooperation Section at the German Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasised that entrepreneurship often begins by recognising a problem close to home.
“Entrepreneurship often begins with a simple question: What problem do I see around me, and how can I solve it? It is important for girls and young women to recognise entrepreneurship early on as a path open to them and to have the opportunity to turn their ideas into something concrete. Supporting their development matters not only to them, but also to the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina and society as a whole,” Müller said.
He added that supporting their first entrepreneurial steps also means helping them build knowledge and confidence.
“We are pleased that, through the Sustainable Economic Development and Employment Promotion programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the European Union and the Swiss Government, we can support their first entrepreneurial steps and help them gain the knowledge, confidence and experience they need to keep developing their ideas.”
Majda Tolić, Advisor for Vocational Education and Training and the Labour Market at GIZ, also highlighted the importance of creating equal opportunities for young women to develop their potential. She stressed the role of knowledge, mentoring and business networks in their future participation in the economy.
“Gender equality is not only about equal rights, but also about equal opportunities for young women to develop their potential and participate actively in economic life. It is important that girls gain access to knowledge, mentoring, business networks and positive role models while they are still in education. These can help them recognise their ideas as real professional and business opportunities,” Tolić said.
Presenting Their Ideas Is a Beginning, Not an End
Although the final Demo Day marked the end of five days of work in Sarajevo, the development of the ideas will continue. With support from mentors and teachers at their schools, the students will have an opportunity to further test, adapt and improve what they created during the Academy.
Their next opportunity to present their work will be Women’s Entrepreneurship Days on 13 November 2026, when they will once again present their ideas to an audience and show how they have progressed.
That continuation is one of the Academy’s important outcomes. The girls from the three cities left Sarajevo with more than new knowledge and their first business ideas. They also gained experience in shaping their ideas, explaining them and presenting them to others.
In five days, they went from asking, “What problem do I see around me?” to standing before an audience and saying: “This is our idea, and this is how we want to solve the problem.”
The Academy is implemented by the Association of Business Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina with support from the Sustainable Economic Development and Employment Promotion (SEDEP) programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The programme is co-financed by the German Government, the European Union and the Swiss Government, and implemented by GIZ.
