Eko forum Zenica

What Eko forum Zenica does

Eko Forum Zenica (legal name: Udruženje Eko-forum Zenica) is a non-governmental, non-profit civil society organization based in Zenica, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, founded in 2009 and operating as the local Aarhus Centre within the four-centre national network (Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Tuzla, Zenica). It conducts environmental monitoring and advocacy in one of Europe's most heavily polluted industrial basins, focusing on air quality (PM2.5, PM10, SO2), industrial water contamination of the Bosna River, illegal waste sites including the Rača dump, protection of natural areas such as the proposed Babina-Tvrtkovac Nature Park, and anti-corruption in environmental governance.

The organization's portfolio consists of advocacy projects rather than technology products: AarhusGreenNet (EU-funded Aarhus Centre green-agenda network), Reind-BBG (brownfield-over-greenfield reindustrialization), SAMRS 2024 (drinking-water purification for mining contamination), EcoTrace (post-industrial recovery assessment), and the Sweden/CPCD-funded 'Misli o prirodi!' (Think About Nature!) initiative. Its operational technology stack is minimal — a public website, a live PM2.5 air-quality readout, and social media channels — with no proprietary software, API, or commercial product surface.

Eko Forum Zenica is funded exclusively through project-based grants from international donors, including the European Union, the Government of Sweden, OSCE, PeaceNexus, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, SAICM, WECF, Green Grants Fund, Interreg Danube Programme, and the German Marshall Fund's Balkan Trust, supplemented by membership fees. It has a lean team of 6 staff and is governed by a General Assembly, Management Board, and Supervisory Board, with Zlatan Alibegović serving as President (since 2017, re-elected 2021) and Majda Ibraković as Vice President (since March 2024). The organization's customers, in the strict sense, are the citizens and communities of Zenica and Zenica-Doboj Canton served through Aarhus-Convention rights to environmental information, public participation, and access to justice.

Name

Eko forum Zenica

Legal name

Udruženje Eko-forum Zenica

Website

https://ekoforumzenica.ba

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Eko Forum Zenica is a Bosnia-based environmental NGO and Aarhus Centre that monitors air and water pollution, advocates for protected areas and anti-corruption, and serves citizens of Zenica and Zenica-Doboj Canton. It is funded by project grants from the EU, Sweden, OSCE, and other international donors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy and Civil Society Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

EHS Management Systems & ISO Consulting (ISO 14001/45001) (BPAHAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK), Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM)

Keywords

• Environmental advocacy services
• Air quality monitoring
• Water pollution tracking
• Nature conservation projects
• Civil society organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Zenica

HQ country

Bosnia & Herzegovina

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Project-based grant funding from international donors: Eko Forum Zenica operates primarily through project-based grants from international organizations including the European Union, Swedish International Development Cooperation, OSCE, PeaceNexus, Balkan Monitoring Public Finance, SAICM, WECF, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Green Grants Fund, and others. Funding is used to implement environmental protection, Aarhus Convention implementation, and nature conservation projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Eko Forum Zenica is a non-profit civil society organization that delivers environmental advocacy and monitoring services in the Zenica and Zenica-Doboj Canton region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its work centres on air quality monitoring, water pollution tracking, industrial waste accountability (Rača dump), advocacy for protected natural areas (including Babina-Tvrtkovac), and anti-corruption in environmental governance, delivered through grant-funded projects such as AarhusGreenNet, Reind-BBG, SAMRS 2024, and EcoTrace.

Product overview

Eko Forum Zenica is a civil society organization providing environmental advocacy services rather than a technology product company. The organization's offerings consist of environmental monitoring and advocacy projects including the AarhusGreenNet network, the Reind-BBG reindustrialization project, SAMRS 2024 water purification solution, EcoTrace environmental recovery assessment, and the Babina-Tvrtkovac nature park initiative. The organization does not offer software products but rather implements environmental protection projects and advocacy campaigns for the Zenica region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AarhusGreenNet Network of Aarhus Centres in BiH for the Green Agenda and environmental protection, implementing Aarhus Convention rights to environmental information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice for citizens in Zenica and other centres (Banja Luka, Sarajevo, Tuzla).
• Reind-BBG (Reindustrialization Brownfield over Greenfield) Project promoting reindustrialization based on brownfield principles rather than greenfield development, targeting land-use and industrial site reuse in the Zenica region.
• SAMRS 2024 Project delivering a solution for the purification of drinking water contaminated by mining activities, addressing water-quality threats faced by communities in mining-affected areas.
• EcoTrace Post-industrial environmental recovery assessment project evaluating recovery of environments affected by industrial activity.
• Babina-Tvrtkovac Nature Park Initiative Citizen initiative advocating the designation of the Babina-Tvrtkovac area as a protected nature park, supported by biodiversity research and a documented petition of 2,129 signatures aimed at protecting 10% of Zenica's territory.

Quantifiable outcome

• Collected 2,129 signatures on a petition for the establishment of Nature Park Babina-Tvrtkovac, aiming to protect 10% of Zenica's territory.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Aarhus Centre Network of Bosnia and HerzegovinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEko Forum Zenica serves as the Aarhus Centre Zenica, part of the national Aarhus Centre Network of BiH together with centres in Banja Luka, Sarajevo, and Tuzla. The network promotes transparency in government work and active citizen participation in environmental decision-making based on the three pillars of the Aarhus Convention: access to information, public participation, and access to justice.
• OSCE Mission to Bosnia and HerzegovinamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe OSCE supports Eko Forum Zenica's activities including participation in conferences on environmental crime prevention, roundtables on air quality, and other civil society empowerment initiatives.
• Centar za životnu sredinu Banja Luka (CZZS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental NGO from Banja Luka that collaborates with Eko Forum Zenica on shared environmental advocacy goals within the BiH environmental civil society network.
• Centar za ekologiju i energiju Tuzla (CEE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental NGO from Tuzla that collaborates with Eko Forum Zenica on environmental protection initiatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Aarhus Centre SarajevomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAarhus Centre Sarajevo is a key partner in the Aarhus Centre Network of BiH, working with Eko Forum Zenica on environmental governance and public participation.
• Balkan Monitoring Public Finance (BMPF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMPF supports monitoring of public finances and governance, complementing Eko Forum's transparency and anti-corruption advocacy.
• SAICMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic Approach to International Chemicals Management supports chemical safety and environmental health initiatives.
• WECF (Women in Europe for a Common Future)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational women's and environmental network supporting sustainable development and environmental health initiatives.
• Arnika (Czech Republic)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCzech environmental organization working on industrial pollution and toxic waste issues, collaborating with Eko Forum Zenica on shared concerns about industrial contamination.
• CPCD - Centre for Civil Society PromotionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPCD implements the 'Misli o prirodi!' project (financially supported by Sweden) under which Eko Forum Zenica conducts nature protection activities including the establishment of protected areas.
• EcoBiH Network (Eko BiH)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcoBiH is the environmental NGO network in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Eko Forum Zenica is an active member, contributing to national environmental policy advocacy.
• WWF AdriamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Wide Fund for Nature's Adriatic office collaborates with Eko Forum Zenica on nature protection, protected areas advocacy, and biodiversity conservation in the Western Balkans.
• CEE Bankwatch NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network monitoring bank financing of environmentally harmful projects, collaborating on issues related to ArcelorMittal and industrial pollution.
• NDI - National Democratic InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNDI supports democratic governance and civil society strengthening in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• EkoAkcijaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental NGO from Sarajevo working on environmental protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Green Team CentarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization active in Zenica area.
• Goethe-Institut Bosnia and HerzegovinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman cultural institute supporting civil society and cultural initiatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Fair Steel Coalition (FSC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition focused on sustainable and just steel sector transition, addressing the environmental and social impacts of steel production in industrial cities like Zenica.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CEE Bankwatch Network: International network monitoring public finance of environmentally harmful projects across Central and Eastern Europe. Collaborates with Eko Forum Zenica on ArcelorMittal and industrial pollution issues; broader in geographic scope and capability set than Eko Forum.
• WWF Adria: Adriatic office of WWF working on biodiversity, protected areas, and nature conservation across the Western Balkans. Direct partner of Eko Forum Zenica on the Babina-Tvrtkovac and other protected-area initiatives, but with vastly larger resources and geographic scope.

Direct peers

• EkoAkcija: Sarajevo-based environmental NGO working on environmental protection and advocacy across BiH. Closely comparable in scale, mission, and grassroots/community organizing approach to Eko Forum Zenica.
• Green Team Centar: Local environmental organization active in the Zenica area. Directly comparable in geography, mission, and community-driven environmental advocacy, making it a local peer rather than a regional one.
• Centar za životnu sredinu Banja Luka (CZZS): Fellow BiH environmental NGO and Aarhus Centre partner. Operates the Banja Luka Aarhus Centre and shares EcoBiH network membership, joint advocacy on environmental governance, and donor funding patterns with Eko Forum Zenica.
• EcoBiH Network (Eko BiH mreža): National BiH environmental NGO network of which Eko Forum Zenica is an active member. Comparable as the umbrella network for environmental CSOs in BiH and a coordination layer for joint advocacy efforts.
• Centar za ekologiju i energiju Tuzla (CEE): BiH environmental NGO operating the Tuzla Aarhus Centre. Direct counterpart of Eko Forum Zenica in the four-center Aarhus network, working on similar air quality, industrial pollution, and citizen participation issues in Tuzla Canton.
• Aarhus centar Sarajevo: Aarhus Centre partner in Sarajevo and fellow member of the BiH Aarhus Centre Network. Shares the same Aarhus Convention mandate, donor ecosystem, and project portfolio structure as Eko Forum Zenica.

Emerging players

• Arnika (Czech Republic): Czech environmental organization working on industrial pollution, toxic waste, and CEE industrial city advocacy. Direct partner of Eko Forum Zenica on shared industrial contamination concerns (steel, mining) and a comparable niche NGO in the wider Visegrad/Adriatic region.

Others

• Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung (BiH office): German political foundation (affiliated with the Greens) that funds environmental journalism and civil society in BiH and has featured Eko Forum Zenica's research. Comparable as a thematic enabler/funder in the environmental civic space rather than a direct operational peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8_lVOxMwFsa7xbp_v4FN8g
• Facebookfacebook.com/ekoforumzenica
• Instagraminstagram.com/ekoforumzenica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eko-forum-zenica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Eko forum Zenica