ISAC (International and Security Affairs Centre)

What ISAC (International and Security Affairs Centre) does

ISAC Fund (International and Security Affairs Centre) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental think tank headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia at Kapetan Mišina 5. Established in January 2006 and evolved from the Center for Defense and Security Studies (originally part of the G17 Institute, founded August 2002), ISAC has operated for 20 years as Serbia's leading policy research organization focused on EU integration, foreign policy, and security affairs in the Western Balkans. The organization maintains six core programmatic areas: the CFSP – Chapter 31 Programme (monitoring Serbia's alignment with EU Common Foreign and Security Policy declarations), Peace Support Operations, External Economic Relations, Foreign and Security Policy, the Young Leaders capacity-building programme, and the Regional Initiative to Combat Disinformation, complemented by a Policy Library of guides, policy opinions, analyses, and conference reports. Outputs are knowledge products — research, publications, seminars, and working groups — rather than technology products.

ISAC operates a grant-funded business model, with revenue derived from project-based grants and institutional support from international foundations and government programmes, including the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Hans Seidel Foundation, the European Union, and the German Marshall Fund's Balkan Fund for Democracy. The organization does not charge for publications or events. Its primary 'customer' segments are government officials, parliamentary political parties, the diplomatic community, media professionals, and students/young professionals. Distribution occurs through an institutional website, social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, RSS), media appearances on Serbian outlets (RTS, Euronews, Radio Free Europe), conferences, and direct engagement via the National Convention on the EU's Chapter 31 Working Group and parliamentary party seminars.

The organization has collaborated with over 100 partner organizations across Serbia, the Western Balkans, and EU institutions over two decades, and has trained hundreds of young professionals through its Young Leaders programme. Core leadership comprises Founder & Director Nikola Petrović, Senior Advisor Marko Savković, and Research Director Igor Novaković. ISAC maintains an active publishing cadence (semi-annual CFSP alignment reviews, scenario-building studies, policy opinions) and a regional convening role that positions it as a durable node in the Western Balkan policy ecosystem.

Name

ISAC (International and Security Affairs Centre)

Legal name

ISAC Fund

Website

https://isac-fund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ISAC Fund is an independent, non-profit think tank in Belgrade, Serbia, conducting policy research, monitoring, and capacity-building programmes on EU integration, foreign policy, and security affairs for Serbian and Western Balkan government, parliamentary, diplomatic, and civil society stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Think Tank / Policy Research Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), International Affairs (92812)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Assistance, Policy Lending & Capacity Building Programs (BPADACAN)

Keywords

• Foreign policy research
• Security policy analysis
• EU integration advisory
• Think tank services
• Disinformation analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Belgrade, Serbia

HQ country

Serbia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Institutional Support: ISAC operates as a non-profit think tank funded primarily through grants and institutional support from international foundations and government programs, including the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and Hans Seidel Foundation.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ISAC Fund is a Belgrade-based non-profit think tank that conducts independent policy research, analysis, training, and convening on Serbia's EU integration, foreign policy, and security affairs. Its core offerings consist of six programmatic areas (CFSP – Chapter 31, Peace Support Operations, External Economic Relations, Foreign and Security Policy, Young Leaders, and the Regional Initiative to Combat Disinformation) plus a Policy Library of guides, analyses, and conference reports. Outputs are delivered through working groups, three-day seminars for parliamentary parties, conferences, webinars, publications, and expert media commentary.

Product overview

ISAC (International and Security Affairs Centre) is a non-profit, independent think tank based in Belgrade, Serbia, focused on foreign policy and security affairs research. The organization operates as a unified research institute rather than a software product company. Its portfolio consists of six core programmatic areas: the CFSP – Chapter 31 Programme (monitoring Serbia's EU foreign policy alignment), Peace Support Operations, External Economic Relations, Foreign and Security Policy, the Young Leaders Programme (capacity building), and the Regional Initiative to Combat Disinformation. These are complemented by a Policy Library containing guides, policy opinions, analyses, and conference reports. The organization's outputs are knowledge products (research, analysis, publications) rather than technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CFSP – Chapter 31 Programme A research and convening programme monitoring Serbia's alignment with the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Chapter 31 of accession negotiations, including semi-annual longitudinal analyses, working groups within the National Convention on the EU, and policy recommendations for government and parliamentary stakeholders.
• Peace Support Operations Programme A programme focused on Serbia's participation in international peace support operations and capacity building for security sector engagement, aimed at government, military, and security policy audiences.
• External Economic Relations Programme A programme examining Serbia's external economic relations, trade policies, and economic aspects of foreign policy for policymakers, government ministries, and external stakeholders.
• Foreign and Security Policy Programme A comprehensive programme covering Serbia's foreign policy positioning, security challenges, and strategic analysis of international relations for policymakers, diplomatic community, and the broader public.
• Young Leaders Programme A capacity-building programme for young professionals focusing on European integration, foreign policy, and security affairs education, delivered through training seminars, internships, and educational programming across Serbia and the Western Balkans.
• Regional Initiative to Combat Disinformation A programme dedicated to analyzing and countering disinformation narratives and hate speech in the Western Balkans, including media monitoring, news analysis, fact-checking coordination, and media literacy events with regional civil society partners.
• ISAC Policy Library (Guides, Policy Opinions, Policy Analyses, Conference Reports, Academic Articles) A public repository of ISAC's research publications including guides, policy opinions and perspectives, policy analyses and studies, conference reports, academic articles, and previous editions, available for download via isac-fund.org.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serbia's alignment rate with EU CFSP at approximately 60% as of first half 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Metamorphosis FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025Macedonian foundation organizing the interactive panel discussion on 'Countering Anti-EU Narratives and Hate Speech in the Western Balkans' as part of Media Literacy Days. ISAC contributed expertise on disinformation challenges in Serbia.
• Faktoje (Albania)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025Albanian fact-checking organization participating in the Regional Initiative to Combat Disinformation, presenting on disinformation challenges in Albania during the webinar.
• Hybrid Info (Kosovo)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025Research organization from Kosovo contributing to the Regional Initiative to Combat Disinformation, addressing disinformation challenges in Kosovo.
• RDN (Serbia)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2025Media monitoring organization participating in the Regional Initiative, tracking hate speech trends in the Western Balkans.
• Jagello 2000coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2006Leading Czech association for Euro-Atlantic cooperation. Established partnership through pilot project including an intensive seminar for university lecturers from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina on Euro-Atlantic integration issues, held in Prague. Seminar covered defense structure development, intelligence reform, NATO political and defense aspects, EU-NATO coordination, and security system changes in response to counter-terrorism.
• CSS (Center for Security Studies, Sarajevo)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2006Leading security studies think tank from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Partnered with ISAC and IMO on the first regional seminar on European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) in Belgrade, March 2006. Three-day intensive seminar for participants from ministries, parliaments, academia, NGOs, and media.
• IMO (Institute for International Relations, Zagreb)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2006Leading Croatian institute for international relations. Partnered with ISAC and CSS on the first regional seminar on European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), contributing to capacity building on EU integration and security policy across the Western Balkans.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF): US transatlantic policy institute that funds Western Balkans work (Balkan Fund for Democracy). Listed as a prior ISAC partner; comparable as a transatlantic convener and policy-funder for regional think tanks on EU/Euro-Atlantic integration.
• Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) Southeast Europe: German political foundation running rule-of-law, EU integration, and security programmes across the Western Balkans. Comparable as a regional policy advisor and donor to similar audiences, with overlapping programmes on Serbia's EU accession and security policy.
• Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) Southeast Europe: German political foundation funding and conducting social-democratic policy work across Southeast Europe. ISAC is a current FES grantee; FES is a peer in regional policy advisory, capacity building, and convening of government and civil society stakeholders.

Emerging players

• European Western Balkans (EWB): Regional policy platform aggregating analysis and commentary on EU enlargement and Western Balkans integration. Comparable as a younger, content-driven outlet covering the same Serbian accession and CFSP alignment topics ISAC analyzes.

Direct peers

• Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP): Belgrade-based think tank focused on security policy, defence, and foreign affairs in Serbia and the Western Balkans. Most directly comparable peer: same city, overlapping mandate on security and EU/Euro-Atlantic integration, and competes for the same Western donor pool.
• European Policy Centre (CEP) Belgrade: Serbian think tank producing policy analysis on European integration, foreign policy, and rule of law. Directly comparable as a Belgrade-based, EU-focused policy research outfit serving similar government and parliamentary stakeholders.
• European Stability Initiative (ESI): Berlin/Brussels-based think tank producing in-depth policy analysis on Western Balkans enlargement, rule of law, and EU accession. Highly comparable for analytical methodology, regional scope, and donor audience.

Regional players

• Institute for International Relations (IMO) Zagreb: Croatian research institute covering EU integration, foreign policy, and security. ISAC's named regional partner from the 2006 ESDP seminar and a natural peer across the Western Balkans policy research ecosystem.
• Centre for Security Studies (CSS) Sarajevo: Bosnian think tank specializing in security studies and Euro-Atlantic integration. Co-organized ISAC's first regional ESDP seminar in 2006 and remains a structurally similar peer in the regional security-policy space.

Broad incumbents

• International Crisis Group: Global conflict-prevention think tank producing field-based analysis on the Western Balkans and EU enlargement. Comparable for analytical style and donor base, though operating at far greater scale and geographic breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/isacfund
• Facebookfacebook.com/ISACfund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isac-fund

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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Frequently asked questions about ISAC (International and Security Affairs Centre)