Connecting with Berlin?
Ecosystem connectors with Berlin Innovation Fellowship program will get you setup
Individual program with aim to create long term results.
Apply NowWith 100+ local partners in Berlin
About Berlin Innovation Fellowship
3 Weeks - Concrete Results - In your own time
The core objective of the program is to build long-term partnerships enabling sustainable growth, cross-border collaboration, and long-term access to German market via Berlin.
1-1 designed program, only individual sessions, without joined activities or lectures.
Direct introductions to stakeholders from a wide community of Berlin ecosystem.
Assigned Key Expert knowledgeable of Tirana or Sarajevo and Berlin, with experience in all cities.
Participants receive financial support to cover travel and stay, allowing them to focus fully on building meaningful partnerships within Berlin’s startup ecosystem.
Direct match for concrete partnership, Fellows will be matched with leading Berlin ecosystem players based on their specific objectives.
Join webinar with all Western Balkans fellows to understand components of the program. Afterwords schedule 1-1 calls with Key expert to design your unique fellowship and enable the Expert to identify and connect you with right stakeholders
ou can choose a time that fits best for your business (until November 2026), the targeted result and partner organisation. Recommended stay in Berlin is minimum 2 weeks and up to 3 weeks.
In Sarajevo & Tirana, the call is open to 20* Innovation support organisations, startups and scale-ups, ecosystem builders and program managers.
The program is best fitted for organisations with existing ties too Berlin or a good understanding of its ecosystem and players.
This is an individualistic scaling program, not suitable for early exploration stage.
*The number includes fellows from Berlin coming to the Sarajevo & Tirana
- Your service / product shows potential for growth and can be scaled to the EU market
- You operate in a sector with significant growth and collaboration potentials in both Tirana/Sarajevo and Berlin
- Your startup is active in Sarajevo or Tirana, has raised traction and is looking to expand to the EU market.
- This program is best fitted for startups with YoY revenue growth of min 30%
- Your organisation is supporting startups in Sarajevo/Tirana (and across countries)
- You are looking to create partnerships with similar organisations in Berlin
Your organisation can support Tirana or Sarajevo based startups in scaling their work or creating partnerships with businesses in Berlin
- You (as representative for your organisation) are willing and able to actively participate in the project and share knowledge and experience with other participants
Companies that already have established partnership or selected partners in Berlin will be given higher score in evaluation and priority
Berlin Innovation Fellowship (BIF) is a follow up initiative of Ecosystem Connectors Berlin Tirana Sarajevo that focuses on connecting ecosystems of all cities.
The project is funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH through the “Bund-Länder-Program-German Government and Federal States Program (BLP)” "in cooperation with the international cooperation programmes EU4Innovation and SEDEP and implemented by betahausX.
The European Union, Germany, and Sweden jointly support the development of Albania’s innovation and startup ecosystem to foster sustainable growth, competitiveness, and quality job creation.
The project strengthens the foundations of the innovation economy by leveraging Albania’s human capital, entrepreneurial talent, and research potential, while improving access to skills, finance, partnerships, and international markets for startups and ecosystem actors.
Funded by the European Union, with co-funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Sweden, the project is implemented by GIZ Albania and Swedish Embassy in Tirana, in close cooperation with national institutions and ecosystem partners.
The Sustainable Economic Development and Employment Promotion Program (SEDEP) aims to improve employment in BiH by supporting the green and digital transformation of the economy. The program is co-financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ),the European Union, and the Government of Switzerland, and implemented by GIZ. The area “Strengthening Vocational Education and Training” (SVET) focuses on enhancing the vocational education and training system to ensure a qualified workforce that is essential for the country’s sustainable economic growth. The Initiative for Private Sector Development (PSD) supports the digital and green transformation of businesses, fostering a competitive and innovative economic ecosystem, while the area “DigitalTransformation” focuses on modernizing businesses and public administration, promoting a more competitive, innovative, and digitally connected economy.
