From Supporting Ideas to a System that Drives Development
Podgorica, 14 September 2026 – Five years ago, the Innovation Fund of Montenegro began its work with the aim of creating opportunities for development through innovative ideas. Today, the Fund stands behind hundreds of supported projects, companies developing new solutions, researchers connecting knowledge with the market, numerous national and international partnerships, and a growing number of people who see innovation as an opportunity for development.
Over five years of operation, the Fund has, through 11 programmes and 29 public calls, supported more than 300 projects, with more than €13.7 million in funding approved. A total of 325 international experts have participated in project evaluations, while the support programmes have evolved over the years to address different stages of development – from initial ideas and proof of innovative concept, through startup development and business innovation, to strengthening links between science and industry, improving energy efficiency, and supporting innovative solutions for the public sector.
However, behind these figures are people and teams who have decided to develop, test and turn their ideas into something tangible. Someone built their first prototype, someone developed a new product or service, while someone brought their research closer to the market.
“The Fund’s support means more than financing a single project. It is recognition that a team, company or researcher has been identified as having the potential for further development. Through our programmes and support, beneficiaries gain experience, results and a track record that gives them additional credibility when engaging with partners, investors, customers and other sources of financing. When someone says they are a beneficiary of the Fund’s support programmes, that carries a certain weight beyond Montenegro as well. This is one of the values that the Fund’s support brings to our beneficiaries and a result of the system the Fund has built,” said Katarina Lalović, Executive Director of the Innovation Fund of Montenegro.
The Fund’s five-year development has been marked by the creation of a system that today responds to different stages of development and the needs of beneficiaries, says Saša Ivanović, Head of the Strategic Planning and International Cooperation Sector:
“When we started, we were doing many things for the first time. There was no ready-made model that we could simply implement. We were building programmes, processes and ways of working, but also trust in a new institution. Today, we have a developed support system that responds to different stages of development and the needs of our beneficiaries. We are no longer talking only about how to give a good idea initial support, but about how to help companies and researchers take the next step, grow, enter new markets and become ready for larger sources of funding and international programmes.”
Interest in the Fund’s programmes has grown significantly in recent years. The number of applications increased from 58 in 2022 to 594 in 2026, representing an increase of more than tenfold, while the amount of funding requested rose from €3.19 million to €35.23 million, an increase of more than elevenfold.
This growth in interest continued throughout 2026, and by the end of the year, three additional public calls will be launched: the Proof of Innovative Concept Programme, the Innovation Support Programme for Energy Efficiency in Industry, and the GovTech Programme for Financing Innovative Solutions in the Public Sector – Phase I.
In September, the Fund will also launch its redesigned website, developed to provide users with simpler and more accessible information about support programmes, public calls and the opportunities offered by the Fund. The redesign brings improved content organisation, a new visual identity and a user experience based on research into users’ needs.
The Fund is marking its fifth anniversary with a look towards the future as well. In the first half of September, at the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, citizens, companies, researchers, representatives of institutions and other members of the innovation ecosystem were invited to imagine Montenegro in 2031 and leave a message about what they would like to see become reality by then.
“We wanted to pause and think about what kind of Montenegro we want to see in five years, and what may seem impossible today but could become perfectly normal by then. Those ideas and aspirations have now been preserved. When we open the capsule in 2031, it will be interesting to see how close we have come to what we imagine today,” the Innovation Fund of Montenegro said.
Behind every project is someone who had an idea and decided to give it a chance. The first five years have shown how far an idea can grow. The next five will show how far it can go.
