This autumn, SOVVA starts a new project co-funded by SlovakAid and situated in Albania called: Supporting creative entrepreneurs and development of creative industries sector. SOVVA will implement this project together with its Slovak partner Neulogy and Albanian partners Centre  for Competitiveness Promotion and Polis University. 

The main objective of the project is to improve the conditions and opportunities for start-ups and SMEs from creative sectors in Albania. The project reflects on the prevailing difficulties for creative start-ups and SMEs to enter national and international markets due to lack of relevant national policies, entrepreneurial skills and non-existent representative organs within creative industries sector.

The project is a continuation of the project SAMRS/2016/ZB/1/6 named „Support of entrepreneurship and growth of innovative SMEs in Albania and it is building upon its activities and achieved results. Therefore, the specific objectives of the project are:

1. Improvement of capacities and know-how of entrepreneurs and key representatives of creative industries sector,
2. Improvement of collaboration and coordination of key stakeholders and supporting creation of representative bodies within creative sector,
3. Establishment of virtual creative incubator for start-ups at Polis University. The project applicant, SOVVA, will work with Albanian partners Centre for Competitiveness Promotion and Polis University to achieve these goals.

The cooperation will lead to the following results:

1. Creative Academy for entrepreneurs will improve capacities of 60 entrepreneurs, it will create syllabus of Creative Academy and support a process of setting up a virtual creative incubator at Polis University. The Creative Academy will take place in two rounds - November 2018 and October 2019. 
2. Knowledge trip in Slovakia for start-ups and representatives of support organizations from creative industries will provide valuable experience and contacts to help them grow their own projects. The visit will occur in March 2019.
3. Regional conference in support of creative industries will create space for meaningful exchange of know-how and best practices in the field of support of start-ups and SMEs from creative industries. This conference will take place in October 2019.
4. Creative Academy for support organizations will improve capacities and expertise of 20 representatives from private, public and academic sector. These will meet in April 2019.