£50,000 for sustainable furniture, army bread, alcohol-free lavender liqueur, BIO elixir and e-bike tours

Military bread from the First World War turned into a modern bakery brand, sustainable furniture made from recycled materials, organic BIO elixirs for plants, e-bike tours that bring nature and local hosts together, alcohol-free lavender liqueur from the fields of Čačan - these are the businesses of five entrepreneurs from Serbia who won grants of 10,000 pounds each through the "Strong and Important" program implemented by NALED and financed by the British Embassy in Serbia. Grants were awarded last night as part of the CORE Days conference.

- The British Embassy is sincerely delighted to support NALED's Strong and Important program because we believe that empowering women to be economically self-sustaining is the key to innovation and achieving inclusive growth. During these 16 days of activism to prevent violence against women, Strong and Important reminds us that it is also important to build positive frameworks, such as these, which will enable women and girls to realize their full potential - said Edward Ferguson, British Ambassador to Serbia.

Out of 80 applicants, Ana Tomašević from Čačak (Eden Origin, ViolaVerde), Biljana Jakovljević from Sremska Mitrovica (TAIN, Bread of our ancestors), Nevena Vujašinović from Novi Sad (Cherry Art Hub, Sustainable Furniture and Interior), Sonja Janičić from Vrbas (FDS Studio Provansa, Brigid BIO Krug) and Tatjana Anić from Belgrade (Explore Balkans, E-bike Serbia - sustainable tourism for the new generation).

- In the stories of our winners, there is everything that we want to see in the economy: innovation, sustainability, circularity, healthy food, tourism that connects nature and community, agriculture that protects the planet, design that lasts and products that are a link between heritage and modernity. - explains the executive director of NALED, Violeta Jovanović.

Grants will enable female entrepreneurs to acquire equipment, improve production, expand sales and digital presence, as well as faster positioning on the domestic and international markets.

- Supporting women who create sustainable, innovative and brave businesses is not only an investment in their economic independence, but also in the development of local communities and the future of our economy - emphasized Minister Tatjana Macura.

The winners were decided by the Committee for Grants, which consisted of representatives of the British Embassy in Belgrade, the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs, the Cabinet of the Minister without Portfolio for Gender Equality, the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation and NALED.