Belgrade Partner Meeting, Day 2: Turning Ideas into Action

 The second day of the IMPACTA partner meeting in Belgrade revolved around one of the project’s most important questions: how can shared knowledge be translated into practical support for women entrepreneurs in different local contexts across the Danube Region?

While the first day created space for reflection on research, methodology and stakeholder cooperation, Day 2 moved the conversation one step further. We worked together on how the project’s ideas, findings and tools can become real pilot actions with value for women, local communities and support ecosystems.

A central topic of the day was the development of the IMPACTA training methodology. The discussion made it clear that there is no single path into entrepreneurship, hence supporting the learning of women to become entrepreneurs should happen on various grounds and with various aims. Some women are only starting to explore a business idea, while others already run an initiative and need support to grow, stabilize or connect to wider opportunities. Because of this, we emphasised that the future training approach must be flexible, practical and responsive to different realities and contexts.

Another important point was that entrepreneurship is not only about business knowledge in a narrow sense. It is also about confidence, the right decision-making, resilience, financial thinking, networking and the ability to move forward in uncertain situations. This broader understanding is especially relevant in the case of women facing structural or social barriers, and it strongly shapes how IMPACTA’s future learning materials are being designed.

The second day also gave strong momentum to the discussion on piloting. We exchanged ideas on how the project can test different support models in practice, while still keeping a shared strategic direction across countries. What stood out clearly was our willingness to build on existing expertise rather than start from zero. This gives the project a solid foundation: IMPACTA is not only creating new solutions, but also connecting and adapting knowledge that already exists within our consortium.

One of the most engaging parts of the conversation focused on the idea of digital and interactive tools for young women entrepreneurs (pilot 1). This opened up a wider reflection on how entrepreneurship support can become more accessible, more motivating and more relevant for younger target groups. We discussed how such tools should remain simple, useful and easy to relate to, while still offering meaningful guidance and inspiration.

The exchange on the training programme for women entrepreneurs (pilot 2) also highlighted the diversity of needs across the region. In some contexts, the focus may be on early-stage business thinking. In others, it may be more relevant to address confidence-building, social innovation, access to networks, or the practical barriers women face when trying to start or sustain a business. This diversity is one of the strengths of the project: it allows IMPACTA to develop a shared framework while staying grounded in local realities.

Another important theme was the role of mentoring and support structures (pilot 4). We reflected on how personalised guidance, trust-based cooperation and local stakeholder engagement can make a real difference in entrepreneurial journeys. This is particularly important in a project like IMPACTA, where the aim is not only to deliver activities, but to create supportive environments around and for women entrepreneurs, with the aim of strengthening the local ecosystems that can help women-led ideas emerge, grow and create impact.

We also touched on the importance of tailored support formats such as the training programme for investors with a social innovation aspect (pilot 3) and Women Entrepreneurship Offices / information points (pilot 5), both of which can help build a more inclusive and responsive support ecosystem for women across the region.

The second day of the Belgrade meeting highlighted how IMPACTA is gradually turning a shared strategic vision into concrete forms of support. Our discussions showed that the project is not only generating ideas, but also building the practical conditions for testing and adapting them in different local settings. What emerged clearly from the exchange was a strong collective intention to create approaches that are both realistic and impactful, while staying sensitive to the diverse needs of women entrepreneurs across the Danube Region.