ECDR - European Centre for Dispute Resolution

What ECDR - European Centre for Dispute Resolution does

ECDR (European Centre for Dispute Resolution; legal name Evropski center za reševanje sporov) is a non-profit institution (neprofitni zavod) headquartered in Ljubljana, Slovenia, operating since at least 2012. It provides alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services for commercial, consumer, labor, family, and cross-border disputes through a procedural platform comprising mediation, arbitration, early neutral evaluation (NEO), med-arb, arb-med, expert determination, and a permanent sports arbitration offering launched in 2018. Its NEO service is conducted by former constitutional, supreme, and appellate judges, providing parties with an objective assessment of likely court outcomes; its consumer dispute resolution guarantees a 30-day turnaround at no cost to consumers, while businesses pay according to published tariff schedules.

The organization's revenue mechanics are transaction-based: commercial and sports arbitration fees scale with dispute value (sports fees capped at EUR 6,500 for matters up to EUR 200,000 with higher-value cases individually assessed), consumer disputes are free to consumers and paid by businesses, and additional revenue supports international projects funded by institutional donors. ECDR's go-to-market is institutional rather than commercial — it serves as the European Law Institute (ELI) hub for Slovenia (since April 2014), is the first registered out-of-court consumer dispute resolution provider in Slovenia under the November 2015 Consumer Dispute Resolution Act, and runs donor-funded ADR promotion projects in Serbia (with EBRD support) and school mediation programs in Bosnia and Herzegovina (with ITF and the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

ECDR is led by co-chairs Katarina Kresal (former Slovenian Minister of Home Affairs) and Aleš Zalar (former Minister of Justice), with a five-person team. The organization issues model contract clauses, template arbitration/mediation agreements, and standardized pre-mediation review tools that embed its procedural rules into counterparty contracts. Geographic reach is concentrated in Southeast Europe (Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) with no disclosed revenue figures, no funding rounds, and no parent organization.

Name

ECDR - European Centre for Dispute Resolution

Legal name

Evropski center za reševanje sporov

Website

https://ecdr.si

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ECDR is a Ljubljana-based non-profit institution offering alternative dispute resolution — mediation, arbitration, early neutral evaluation, and sports arbitration — to consumers, businesses, and sports entities across Slovenia and Southeast Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ljubljana

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consumer Dispute Resolution Services: ECDR offers mediation, med-arb, and expedited arbitration for consumer disputes. These services are free for consumers and completed within 30 days. Costs are borne by businesses/companies according to applicable fee schedules.
2. Commercial Arbitration and Mediation: Fees for commercial mediation and arbitration proceedings are charged to both parties according to established tariff schedules. Administrative costs and arbitrator fees are determined based on dispute value.
3. Sports Arbitration: Sports arbitration fees are charged according to a specific fee schedule based on dispute value, including administrative costs and arbitrator compensation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ECDR provides alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services including mediation, arbitration, early neutral evaluation (NEO), med-arb, arb-med, expert determination, and permanent sports arbitration for domestic and cross-border commercial, consumer, labor, family, and other disputes. Consumer disputes are resolved within 30 days free of charge to consumers, while commercial and sports arbitration fees are based on dispute value according to published tariff schedules.

Product overview

ECDR operates as a comprehensive alternative dispute resolution platform offering multiple procedural options. The core services include Mediation, Arbitration, Consumer Dispute Resolution, Early Neutral Evaluation (NEO), and Permanent Sports Arbitration. Hybrid procedures such as Med-Arb (mediation followed by arbitration) and Arb-Med (arbitration followed by mediation) provide flexible resolution pathways. Supporting tools include model contract clauses, sample agreements, procedure request templates, and a Standard Pre-Mediation Review questionnaire. Consumer disputes are resolved within 30 days free of charge for consumers. ECDR positions these services as faster, more cost-effective, and confidential alternatives to court proceedings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mediation (Mediacija)

Quantifiable outcome

• Consumer disputes resolved within 30 days
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and major.

• ITF Ustanova za krepitev človekove varnosticoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2019ECDR partners with ITF (Institute for Strengthening Human Security) on the School and Peer Mediation project in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ITF handles training execution while ECDR is responsible for systemic implementation of legal provisions in education.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia (MZZ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2019The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia funds the school and peer mediation project in Bosnia and Herzegovina through international development cooperation.
• ConcordiasupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 14 August 2019Concordia conducts school mediation training for teachers and trainers as part of the school and peer mediation project in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2018EBRD supported the 'Commercial Mediation in Serbia' project implemented by ECDR in May 2018, which included a concluding conference on mediation as the primary method for resolving commercial disputes.
• Gospodarska zbornica Srbije (Serbian Chamber of Commerce)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 May 2018At ECDR's initiative, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce signed a public declaration committing to support and promote mediation in Serbian business during the commercial mediation conference in Belgrade.
• European Law Institute (ELI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2014ECDR serves as the ELI hub for Slovenia since April 2014. They coordinate ELI activities in Southeast Europe and host the hub's secretariat. Aleš Zalar and Katarina Kresal serve as co-chairpersons of the ELI hub.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ICC International Court of Arbitration: ICC is the world's largest and most established international arbitration institution, handling commercial disputes globally. It competes with ECDR for high-value cross-border commercial arbitration matters and represents the standard institutional alternative ECDR's commercial users would compare against.
• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA): LCIA is a leading international arbitration institution administering commercial disputes with global reach. It is comparable to ECDR for cross-border commercial arbitration and mediation services in Europe.
• Swiss Arbitration Centre: Swiss Arbitration Centre is a leading European arbitration institution for international disputes. Comparable to ECDR as an institutional provider of commercial arbitration and mediation in Europe.
• WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center: WIPO AMC provides ADR services for commercial and intellectual property disputes globally. Comparable to ECDR's mediation, arbitration, and expert determination offerings, particularly for international commercial users.
• Stockholm Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Institute (SCC): SCC is a major European arbitration institution handling international commercial disputes. Comparable to ECDR for cross-border commercial arbitration in the European market.
• Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA): PCA is an intergovernmental arbitration institution handling international state-to-state and commercial disputes. Comparable to ECDR for international arbitration services with institutional neutrality.

Others

• European Consumer Centre Network (ECC-Net): ECC-Net is an EU-funded network assisting consumers with cross-border disputes. Comparable to ECDR's free consumer dispute resolution service in Slovenia and provides a policy/funder counterpart.

Direct peers

• Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS/TAS): CAS is the global institution for sports-related disputes, directly comparable to ECDR's Permanent Sports Arbitration service for disputes between athletes, agents, coaches, and clubs.

Regional players

• Regional Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (RCeADR) — Serbia: RCeADR is a Serbian regional ADR provider where ECDR has delivered commercial mediation projects with EBRD support. Comparable as a regional peer in the same Southeast European footprint.
• Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC): VIAC is a Central European arbitration institution based in Austria, administrating commercial and investment disputes. It is a strong regional peer for ECDR given geographic proximity and overlapping CEE/Central European client base.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecdr---european-centre-for-dispute-resolution

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ECDR - European Centre for Dispute Resolution