Regional Challenge Fund

The Regional Challenge Fund (RCF) is dedicated to enhancing the sustainable competitiveness of businesses within the Western Balkans 6 (WB6) economies, facilitating their integration into the EU single market. The Regional Challenge Fund achieves this by financing vocational education and training (VET) providers who directly address the evolving skill requirements in collaboration with various companies.

Operating as a partnership, the Regional Challenge Fund focuses on cooperative training approaches to boost the employability of VET students across Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Established in 2020, RCF supports projects implemented jointly by vocational training institutes and their enterprise partners, aiding in the development of new programs as well as the expansion and improvement of existing training offerings. The Regional Challenge Fund's grants are awarded to consortia that excel in a competitive, two-step selection process.

The Regional Challenge Fund provides crucial financial and advisory support to selected consortia, covering workshop infrastructure, equipment for training facilities, training for vocational training institute teachers and in-company trainers, and expert advisory services for project planning and implementation. Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and co-financed by the Swiss Government, The Regional Challenge Fund continues to drive vocational excellence and economic growth in the region. We invite the management team to enrich this profile with a customized company showcase and exclusive product listings on our platform.