Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group

What Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group does

Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) is a non-profit policy think tank established in 2014 as a joint initiative of the European Fund for the Balkans (the Network of European Foundations' representative office in Serbia) and the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz. The organization is composed of prominent policy researchers from the Western Balkans and across Europe, coordinated by Florian Bieber (Director, University of Graz) and Veton Zekolli (Executive Director at the European Fund for the Balkans), and supported programmatically by a Programme Manager based in Belgrade.

BiEPAG's core products are knowledge outputs rather than commercial offerings: research-based policy publications, policy briefs, the long-form "Seriously Balkans" podcast, short-form "BiEPAG to the Point" commentary, op-eds, "BiEPAG Reacts" rapid responses to EU Commission reports, panel discussions and high-level events, and dedicated research streams such as the Green Energy Transition Initiative and a Critical Raw Materials programme. Distribution runs through a multilingual website, active social channels (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky), partner media, and convening in Brussels, Zagreb, Tirana, Podgorica, Kotor, and other European venues.

The organization serves EU institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EU), the six Western Balkans governments (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia), the academic and research community, and civil society organizations working on European integration and democratic reform. BiEPAG has no commercial revenue model: it does not sell products, does not disclose financials, and is funded through its two founding institutions rather than through fee-for-service contracts, grants visible in the data, or capital markets. Headcount is reported at 9 employees, with offices in Belgrade (headquarters) and Graz.

Name

Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group

Legal name

Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group

Website

https://biepag.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BiEPAG is a non-profit policy think tank founded in 2014 that produces research, op-eds, and podcasts on EU enlargement and democratic reform in the Western Balkans, serving EU institutions, the six Western Balkans governments, and the academic community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Belgrade

HQ country

Serbia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BiEPAG is a policy research and advisory group that develops research-based policy proposals on EU enlargement, democratic reform, rule of law, and regional cooperation in the Western Balkans. It disseminates these findings through publications, policy briefs, op-eds, a podcast, rapid reaction commentaries, and expert events, and advocates for uptake by EU institutions and Western Balkans governments.

Product overview

BiEPAG (Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group) is a policy research organization composed of scholars and analysts focused on European integration of the Western Balkans. The organization operates as a unified advisory group producing multiple interconnected knowledge products: Publications (research reports and policy briefs), the Seriously Balkans Podcast, BiEPAG to the Point (brief analyses), Op-eds, BiEPAG Reacts (reactions to EU reports), and organized Events. Additionally, the Green Energy Transition Initiative represents a dedicated research stream on energy geopolitics. Together these products serve policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders engaged with EU enlargement and democratic reform in the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BiEPAG Publications Research-based policy publications including reports, policy briefs, and academic analyses on EU enlargement, democracy, rule of law, and regional cooperation in the Western Balkans.
• Seriously Balkans Podcast BiEPAG's podcast series featuring policy discussions, expert interviews, and analysis on political developments in the Western Balkans region.
• BiEPAG to the Point Brief analytical commentary and reflections on current policy developments and events in the Western Balkans.
• BiEPAG Op-eds Opinion-editorial content written by BiEPAG members on topics related to European integration, democracy, and regional affairs.
• BiEPAG Reacts Expert reactions and analysis to EU Commission reports, country assessments, and major policy developments in the Western Balkans.
• BiEPAG Events Organized events including panel discussions, policy dialogues, and presentations on topics related to EU integration and regional cooperation.
• Green Energy Transition Initiative Comprehensive study on the geopolitics of the green energy transition in the Western Balkans, examining external actors and energy policy.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• European Fund for the Balkans (EFB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Fund for the Balkans is the representative office of Network of European Foundations (NEF) in Serbia. EFB co-founded BiEPAG as a joint initiative and provides institutional support, hosting the organization's headquarters in Belgrade.
• Centre for Southeast European Studies, University of GrazcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz co-founded BiEPAG as a joint initiative. Director Florian Bieber serves as BiEPAG coordinator. The center provides academic rigor and research infrastructure.
• European Union InstitutionsflagshipOthersEU institutions including the European Commission, European Parliament, and Council of the EU are primary audiences for BiEPAG's policy recommendations. BiEPAG has presented findings to EU leaders and participated in the Berlin Process.
• Western Balkans GovernmentscoreOthersBiEPAG engages with governments of all six Western Balkans countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia) to promote European integration and democratic reforms.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• European Western Balkans: Belgrade-based policy portal and think tank focused exclusively on EU enlargement and the Western Balkans. Directly comparable in geography, topic, and audience to BiEPAG, and serves the same policy community with overlapping content formats.
• European Stability Initiative (ESI): Berlin-based think tank that has produced influential research on the Western Balkans, EU enlargement, and rule of law issues. Direct peer in the Western Balkans policy research space with comparable mission and outputs.
• Balkans Policy Research Group (BPRG): North Macedonia-based policy research organization focused on EU integration, rule of law, and democratic reform. Direct peer in the Western Balkans policy research space, producing comparable policy briefs and analysis for similar audiences.
• Democratization Policy Council: Policy organization focused on democratic backsliding in the Western Balkans and Central Europe. Direct peer in the democracy-and-enlargement policy space with overlapping researcher community and policy advocacy approach.

Broad incumbents

• International Crisis Group: Global conflict-prevention think tank with extensive coverage of the Western Balkans. Comparable policy research and advisory function to BiEPAG, but at much larger scale and broader geographic scope.
• Chatham House: London-based international affairs think tank covering the Western Balkans among many regions. Comparable in producing evidence-based policy research and convening expert discussions on EU enlargement and regional stability.
• European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR): Pan-European foreign policy think tank with a pan-European network of policy researchers, producing reports and policy briefs on EU enlargement, the Western Balkans, and Eastern Europe. Comparable in structure to BiEPAG's researcher-network model.
• European Policy Centre (EPC): Brussels-based think tank producing policy analysis on EU affairs, including enlargement. Comparable to BiEPAG in mission and policy advisory function, but operates at pan-EU scale and is a broader incumbent in the EU policy space.
• Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS): Leading Brussels-based think tank with research on EU enlargement, foreign policy, and neighborhood issues. Highly comparable policy research and advisory function to BiEPAG, though at much larger scale and broader thematic scope.

Regional players

• Aspen Institute Southeast Europe Policy Programme: Romania-based policy programme focused on Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans, with comparable policy convening and research function. Similar focus on democratic reform and EU integration in the region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/biepag
• Facebookfacebook.com/BiEPAG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/balkans-in-europe-policy-advisory-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/biepag_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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