{"id":4015,"date":"2025-11-27T16:11:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T15:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/?p=4015"},"modified":"2026-06-19T16:22:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T14:22:32","slug":"ministry-of-environmental-protection-and-undp-present-20-innovative-solutions-by-women-entrepreneurs-in-serbia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/?p=4015&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Ministry of Environmental Protection and UNDP Present 20 Innovative Solutions by Women Entrepreneurs in Serbia"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presented 20 innovative solutions developed by women entrepreneurs from Serbia, selected through the Public Call for Strengthening the Role of Women in the Circular Economy. The event was organized with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).<\/p>\n

The awarded women entrepreneurs come from different parts of Serbia and have developed circular solutions in areas such as agriculture, architecture, food production, cosmetics, and textiles. The implementation of these solutions will contribute to waste reduction, the conservation of natural resources, and the development of women\u2019s entrepreneurship, while offering sustainable products and services on the market.<\/p>\n

The Assistant Minister of Environmental Protection, Teodora Spasojevi\u0107, emphasized that the Ministry is committed to the development of the circular economy as one of the key tools for achieving sustainable development.
\n\u201cIn partnership with UNDP, we provide support to local communities, as well as to the business and research sectors, in implementing innovative ideas and solutions for applying circular economy principles. This year, our focus is on supporting women\u2019s entrepreneurship in the circular economy, as well as informal waste collectors,\u201d Spasojevi\u0107 said. Speaking about the \u201cAccept the Circular Challenge\u201d initiative, implemented by the Ministry of Environmental Protection since 2022, she noted that more than 20 companies have participated so far, voluntarily committing to measures aligned with circular economy and sustainable development principles.
\n\u201cWe are very proud of the results achieved, which encourage us to continue supporting projects that contribute to environmental protection as a prerequisite for a healthy and high-quality life for our citizens,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Head of the Sustainable Development Sector at UNDP Serbia, \u017darko Petrovi\u0107, stated that UNDP supports the development of the circular economy within the broader Green Transition Acceleration Initiative, implemented with the support of the European Union, Sweden, Switzerland, the Government of Serbia, and GEF.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cTo date, we have provided co-financing worth 4 million dollars, enabling more than 100 circular initiatives and investments to take root across Serbia, with a total value exceeding 30 million dollars. These initiatives are already contributing to waste reduction, resource conservation, and the creation of green jobs,\u201d Petrovi\u0107 emphasized. The total award fund allocated for circular initiatives by women entrepreneurs amounted to 240,000 dollars, with individual grants ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 dollars, depending on the complexity of each innovation.<\/p>\n

Jelena Jankovi\u0107 from the \u201cZona Eksperimenta\u201d association, which produces furniture from construction textile waste, highlighted that the circular award was a key incentive for launching the Eco\u00d7Deco initiative, which combines recycling, design, and women\u2019s entrepreneurship.
\n\u201cThe support enabled me to transform material that usually has no value into a product, and the entire process was concrete, encouraging, and inspiring. This experience showed me that small ideas can become significant changes when they receive the right kind of support,\u201d Jankovi\u0107 said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The circular award was also instrumental for entrepreneur Mina Vere\u0161, who developed the natural Tamjanika grape juice brand \u201cTamTaNika\u201d and initiated the processing of biomass residues into a superfood supplement.
\n\u201cThanks to this support, we began research into the nutritional properties of flour made from grape pomace after juice production. This project represents our first step toward full waste valorization and the creation of new, healthy products from local resources,\u201d Vere\u0161 explained.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In addition to women entrepreneurs\u2019 innovations, initiatives awarded under last year\u2019s UNDP public calls in the field of circular economy were also presented, including those focused on science\u2013industry collaboration, as well as support for integrating informal waste collectors into the formal waste management system. Initiatives implemented by large companies in Serbia\u2014Delta Holding, Nestl\u00e9, and Stil Impex\u2014were also showcased as responses to the Ministry of Environmental Protection\u2019s Circular Challenge, setting an example for smaller companies in the agriculture, hospitality, and recycling sectors. More information on all awarded initiatives can be found in the brochure available here.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This event was organized within the project \u201cReducing the carbon footprint of local communities by applying the principles of the circular economy in the Republic of Serbia \u2013 Circular Communities,\u201d implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia, with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presented 20 innovative solutions developed by women entrepreneurs from Serbia, selected through the Public Call for Strengthening the Role of Women in the Circular Economy. The event was organized with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The awarded women entrepreneurs come from different parts of Serbia and have developed circular solutions in areas such as agriculture, architecture, food production, cosmetics, and textiles. The implementation of these solutions will contribute to waste reduction, the conservation of natural resources, and the development of women\u2019s entrepreneurship, while offering sustainable products and services on the market. The Assistant Minister of Environmental Protection, Teodora Spasojevi\u0107, emphasized that the Ministry is committed to the development of the circular economy as one of the key tools for achieving sustainable development. \u201cIn partnership with UNDP, we provide support to local communities, as well as to the business and research sectors, in implementing innovative ideas and solutions for applying circular economy principles. This year, our focus is on supporting women\u2019s entrepreneurship in the circular economy, as well as informal waste collectors,\u201d Spasojevi\u0107 said. Speaking about the \u201cAccept the Circular Challenge\u201d initiative, implemented by the Ministry of Environmental Protection since 2022, she noted that more than 20 companies have participated so far, voluntarily committing to measures aligned with circular economy and sustainable development principles. \u201cWe are very proud of the results achieved, which encourage us to continue supporting projects that contribute to environmental protection as a prerequisite for a healthy and high-quality life for our citizens,\u201d she added. The Head of the Sustainable Development Sector at UNDP Serbia, \u017darko Petrovi\u0107, stated that UNDP supports the development of the circular economy within the broader Green Transition Acceleration Initiative, implemented with the support of the European Union, Sweden, Switzerland, the Government of Serbia, and GEF. \u201cTo date, we have provided co-financing worth 4 million dollars, enabling more than 100 circular initiatives and investments to take root across Serbia, with a total value exceeding 30 million dollars. These initiatives are already contributing to waste reduction, resource conservation, and the creation of green jobs,\u201d Petrovi\u0107 emphasized. The total award fund allocated for circular initiatives by women entrepreneurs amounted to 240,000 dollars, with individual grants ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 dollars, depending on the complexity of each innovation. Jelena Jankovi\u0107 from the \u201cZona Eksperimenta\u201d association, which produces furniture from construction textile waste, highlighted that the circular award was a key incentive for launching the Eco\u00d7Deco initiative, which combines recycling, design, and women\u2019s entrepreneurship. \u201cThe support enabled me to transform material that usually has no value into a product, and the entire process was concrete, encouraging, and inspiring. This experience showed me that small ideas can become significant changes when they receive the right kind of support,\u201d Jankovi\u0107 said. The circular award was also instrumental for entrepreneur Mina Vere\u0161, who developed the natural Tamjanika grape juice brand \u201cTamTaNika\u201d and initiated the processing of biomass residues into a superfood supplement. \u201cThanks to this support, we began research into the nutritional properties of flour made from grape pomace after juice production. This project represents our first step toward full waste valorization and the creation of new, healthy products from local resources,\u201d Vere\u0161 explained. In addition to women entrepreneurs\u2019 innovations, initiatives awarded under last year\u2019s UNDP public calls in the field of circular economy were also presented, including those focused on science\u2013industry collaboration, as well as support for integrating informal waste collectors into the formal waste management system. Initiatives implemented by large companies in Serbia\u2014Delta Holding, Nestl\u00e9, and Stil Impex\u2014were also showcased as responses to the Ministry of Environmental Protection\u2019s Circular Challenge, setting an example for smaller companies in the agriculture, hospitality, and recycling sectors. More information on all awarded initiatives can be found in the brochure available here. This event was organized within the project \u201cReducing the carbon footprint of local communities by applying the principles of the circular economy in the Republic of Serbia \u2013 Circular Communities,\u201d implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia, with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2445,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-4015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4015"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4015\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4018,"href":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4015\/revisions\/4018"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4015"},{"taxonomy":"post_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cirkularnezajednice.rs\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fpost_series&post=4015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}