Regional capacity-building for transparency and EU Alignment in state aid practices in the Western Balkans

Overall Objective: To strengthen regional cooperation, transparency, and EU alignment of state aid practices in the Western Balkans through targeted capacity-building, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-informed dialogue.

Specific Objectives:

  1. Enhance institutional knowledge and regional cooperation by delivering a series of workshops and webinars that bring together state aid authorities, competition commissions, and expert institutions from all six Western Balkan economies.
  2. Build a shared understanding and consensus on key state aid reform prioritiesthrough joint discussions, selection of critical thematic areas, and collaborative development of methodology for short regional position briefs and a roadmap for improved transparency and EU acquis alignment.
  3. Increase public and institutional awareness of transparent state aid governancethrough visibility activities, tailored communication materials, and promotion of regional cooperation outcomes across media and stakeholder networks.
  4. Strengthen the role of the WEBECON Network in regional monitoring and dialogue on state aidby actively involving WEBECON members in data validation, facilitation of stakeholder engagement, and joint reflection on state aid practices, thereby enhancing

Donor: Western Balkans Fund

Feasibility Study of Blended Financing Models

The project is developing practical and sustainable blended financing options for ensuring the long-term operation of SRHR content integrated within the EduIno platform. The objective of the assignment is to design two to three concrete financing models and validate them through consultations with relevant public, private, and development stakeholders. The focus will be on leveraging multiple funding sources to cover ongoing maintenance, updates of SRHR digital materials, and future platform improvements, while ensuring strong institutional ownership and alignment with national policy frameworks.

Client: UN Population Fund.

Mapping of the labour market needs of North Macedonia’s leading companies

The core objective is to determine current and emerging skills needs, identify the most acute labour shortages, assess mismatches between employer demand and education/training supply, and explore opportunities to attract or collaborate with diaspora talent.

Client: The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD)

Training on Monitoring Public Procurement at the Municipal Level

💡 Today, December 12, 2025, we held a Training on Monitoring Public Procurement, where 20 representatives from local public institutions, civil society organizations, and the media from Prilep and Krushevo gained new information and knowledge on the proper monitoring and implementation of public spending.It is time for efficient and transparent public procurement!

Webinar on the alignment of state aid regulation

💻The first Webinar on the alignment of state aid regulation with EU Acquis was held, attended by 35+ representatives of public institutions that control, manage and/or grant state aid in the Western Balkan countries.
📃 Olgica Spevec, an expert on state aid and competition policies, shared Croatia’s experience through practical challenges and lessons learned in the accession phases – from the perspective of a negotiator for Chapter 8 and President of the Croatian Competition Council.