Ljubljana, October 7, 2025 – SPIRIT Slovenia, the Public Agency for Entrepreneurship, Internationalization, Foreign Investment and Technology, has launched a new funding call aimed at supporting young and women-led start-ups. The initiative aims to promote entrepreneurship, innovation and business sustainability among companies founded by young entrepreneurs (up to 29 years old) and women of all ages.

A total of €9.45 million will be available over the next five years (2025-2029) to support up to 1,050 start-up projects. The program helps founders access funding and mentorship during the most challenging early stages of business, increasing their chances of long-term success and competitiveness.

Purpose and Objectives

The main objective of the public call is to stimulate the creation and growth of start-ups founded by young people and women, helping them to overcome barriers to financing and to succeed in their first years of business.

From the perspective of the EU Cohesion Policy Program 2021-2027, the call contributes to the specific objective of strengthening sustainable growth, competitiveness and job creation in SMEs through productive investments co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

In this way, the initiative aims to promote a stable and successful start for newly created companies, while enhancing their entrepreneurial and innovation skills through training, mentoring and practical market implementation.

What the Call Covers

The public call supports early-stage entrepreneurial projects, divided into two implementation phases:

  • Phase A – covering the company’s operations during the first five months from the start of the project;
  • Phase B – covering operations from the end of Phase A until the completion of ten months from the project start.

Projects may include only Phase A, or both Phase A and Phase B, depending on the company’s development plan.

Funding and Payment Conditions

Each approved project is eligible for a flat-rate grant of EUR 9,000, designed to cover part of labor costs (equivalent to ten net minimum wages in Slovenia).

The grant will be disbursed in two installments:

  1. First payment (EUR 4,500) – after the successful completion of Phase A (first 5 months), provided that:
    • the company remains operational during the initial 5 months,
    • the owner is employed full-time by the company within 30 days of the project start,
    • the Start Smart (formerly ABC of Entrepreneurship) training is completed, and
    • the entrepreneur completes at least 5 hours of individual mentoring focused on business model development.
  2. Second payment (EUR 4,500) – after the successful completion of Phase B (10 months), provided that:
    • the company remains operational for at least 10 months,
    • the owner continues full-time employment in the company,
    • the Grow Up training is completed,
    • the entrepreneur completes 8 hours of individual mentoring aimed at supporting business growth and development, and
    • the company demonstrates revenue growth compared to the period before the project.

Eligible Applicants

The program is open to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) as defined by Annex I of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014.

Applicants must demonstrate or commit to acquiring basic entrepreneurial skills through the Start Smart and Grow Up programs, receive individual mentoring, and show a clear market focus for their products or services.

Application Period and Deadline

The call is open from October 1, 2025, and remains open until all available funds are allocated or until November 30, 2028.

Applications will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis — meaning earlier complete submissions that meet all requirements will take priority.

Additional Information

Questions and requests for clarification can be submitted in writing to jpmz@spiritslovenia.si. Answers will be published on the SPIRIT Slovenia website (www.spiritslovenia.si), so applicants should avoid including personal or confidential business information in their inquiries.

Complete application documentation and electronic submission forms is available via SPIRIT’s online platform.

About us
SIBIZ ( www.sibiz.eu ) is a Ljubljana-based advisory firm specializing in supporting foreign individuals, business professionals, digital nomads, companies, and corporations in Slovenia. We provide expert legal, tax, accounting, and compliance advisory and help entrepreneurs and digital nomads successfully establish and grow their startups in Slovenia.

For more information, contact us at www.sibiz.eu