Junior Achievement Serbia

What Junior Achievement Serbia does

Junior Achievement Serbia (legal name: Dostignuća mladih u Srbiji) is a Belgrade-headquartered non-profit organization founded in 2005 that delivers entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work-readiness education to Serbian primary and secondary school students. Operating under license from Junior Achievement Worldwide and JA Europe, the organization reaches a network of 357 secondary schools across Serbia through a volunteer-driven model in which trained teachers implement programs with mentorship from corporate volunteers. The core offering is the Učenička kompanija (Student Company) program — recognized by the European Commission as a leading example of entrepreneurial education — supplemented by Business Challenge, JA TITAN simulation, Business Ethics essay competition, Girls Go Circular, Upshift (with UNICEF), Maker Labs, and Financial Literacy programs.

The underlying technology is pedagogical rather than product-based: JA Serbia licenses standardized curricula and frameworks from JA Worldwide/JA Europe and operationalizes them through teacher training, business mentorship, and a student-company registration platform (ucenickakompanija.rs). Programs run throughout the school year and culminate in regional and national competitions; national winners advance to the European Gen-E competition organized by JA Europe.

The business model is grant- and sponsorship-funded: programs are provided free of charge to students, with operating costs covered by a diversified mix of corporate partners (UniCredit Bank Srbija, NCR Foundation/Voyix, Nordeus Foundation, Banca Intesa, Telekom Srbija, TeleGroup, KPMG, Oracle, Mastercard, OTP banka, A1, Nestlé, Bosch, Henkel, Tarkett), multilateral donors (USAID, European Commission/EIT, French Development Agency/AFD, UNICEF), and Serbian government ministries (Education, Economy, Youth and Sports). JA Serbia is a member of the "Grupa za obrazovanje" coalition alongside Nordeus Foundation, Centar za promociju nauke, and Inicijativa Digitalna Srbija. There is no commercial product distribution or pricing model — the 13-person staff organization functions as a program-delivery intermediary between donors, schools, and corporate volunteers.

Name

Junior Achievement Serbia

Legal name

Dostignuća mladih u Srbiji

Website

https://ja-serbia.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Junior Achievement Serbia (Dostignuća mladih) is a Belgrade-based non-profit that delivers free entrepreneurship and financial literacy curricula licensed from JA Worldwide to Serbian students through a network of 357 secondary schools, funded by corporate sponsors, EU institutions, and Serbian government ministries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Entrepreneurship Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Economics & Finance Competitions (Econ Challenge, Stock Market Games) (EDAMAGAI), Social Studies & Civics Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAI), Teacher Training, Professional Development & Education Leadership (BPADAKAC), Business Law, Ethics & Compliance (Contracts, IP Basics) (EDAMAHAL)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship education
• Youth financial literacy
• Student business programs
• Workforce readiness training
• STEM education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Beograd

HQ country

Serbia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Junior Achievement Serbia designs and delivers free educational programs in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, business ethics, STEM, and social innovation for primary and secondary school students across Serbia. Under license from Junior Achievement Worldwide, the organization runs its flagship Učenička kompanija (Student Company) program in which students found and operate real companies, supplemented by competitions, simulations, and teacher training delivered through a network of 357 schools and corporate volunteer mentors.

Product overview

Junior Achievement Serbia (Dostignuća mladih) operates a multi-program educational platform focused on entrepreneurial education for youth. The core offering is the Učenička kompanija (Student Company) program, supplemented by competition programs (Poslovni izazov, JA TITAN, Etička dilema), specialized STEM initiatives (Girls Go Circular, Mejkers lab), social innovation (UPSHIFT), and financial literacy training. Programs are delivered through partnerships with schools across Serbia, working with business mentors from partner companies and supporting students from idea development through practical business execution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Učenička kompanija (Student Company Program) Flagship educational program in which secondary school students found and operate real companies—developing business plans, products, and financial reports—across the school year. Delivered free of charge to Serbian high schools through trained teachers and corporate volunteer mentors.
• Poslovni izazov (Business Challenge) Entrepreneurial skills competition where teams of secondary school students from different schools collaborate to solve business challenges and pitch innovative solutions, with regional heats in Vojvodina, Belgrade, Southeast, Southwest, and Central Serbia culminating in a national final.
• JA TITAN Interactive computer simulation where student teams make critical economic and management decisions in a simulated competitive market, learning about company operations, pricing, and strategy through gameplay.
• Etička dilema (Business Ethics Program) Annual essay competition on business ethics dilemmas for secondary school students, developing critical thinking and ethical reasoning; sponsored by ManpowerGroup Serbia with jury members from corporate partners.
• Girls Go Circular Program encouraging entrepreneurial and digital skills in girls aged 14-18 through circular economy education, contributing to the EU Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 and promoting women's participation in STEM. Over 7,276 Serbian girls have participated over two years.
• UPSHIFT Social entrepreneurship workshop program in partnership with UNICEF Serbia, enabling young people across Serbia to develop and implement solutions to challenges in their local communities through structured workshops, mentorship, and small grants.
• Maker Labs (Mejkers lab) Unique innovative multidisciplinary classroom-of-the-future spaces installed in Serbian secondary schools, encouraging experimentation and entrepreneurship among students through hands-on project-based learning; built with partners Henkel, Tarkett, and ROMA.
• Finansijska pismenost (Financial Literacy) Educational program teaching secondary school students how to make smart financial decisions, covering banking, telecommunications, and insurance concepts; delivered in partnership with Mastercard, OTP banka, and A1 Srbija.

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2016-2017: over 100 student companies founded; 144 student companies in 2017-2018; 300,000+ students in Europe overall
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

31 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• UniCredit Bank SrbijaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor financial partner supporting national student company competitions, business challenges, and annual awards ceremonies. UniCredit provides business volunteers as mentors and sponsors the UniCredit Foundation award 'Osnaženi za budućnost' (Empowered for the Future). Named Business Partner of the Year 2025-2026. UniCredit bank managers serve as jury members in regional and national competitions.
• NCR Foundation / NCR VoyixflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCR Foundation provides financial support for national student company competitions and the NCR Foundation award. NCR Voyix staff serve as business mentors and jury members for competitions. NCR campus visits are organized for competition finalists. NCR Voyix employees including Jovana Trifunović (Best Business Volunteer 2025-2026) and Nina Čaprić participate as mentors.
• Nordeus Fondacija / NordeusflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordeus Foundation provides financial support and business mentors for student company programs and the annual 'Menadžer SAM na dan' (Manager SAM for a Day) program in cooperation with the Serbian Managers Association (SAM). Nordeus staff including Miloš Đuričanin participate in annual award ceremonies. Company employees serve as business mentors on student teams.
• UNICEF SrbijacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF supports the Upshift program in Serbia through which young people develop social innovation projects. JA Serbia organizes regional Upshift workshops in cooperation with UNICEF. Students receive grants and support for implementing their social enterprise ideas.
• TeleGroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeleGroup provides financial support and business mentors for student company and business challenge competitions. TeleGroup awards the special prize for best use of ICT (TeleGroup Award) at national competitions. Company staff including Svetlana Ješić and Dejan Vuković serve as business mentors.
• Banca IntesacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanca Intesa provides business mentors for student company programs. Employees including Đurđina Zdravković serve on alumni award juries. Staff serve as jury members at regional competitions and support student company development.
• Telekom SrbijacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTelekom Srbija provides business mentors for student company and business challenge competitions. Staff including Dejan Vukićević and Jelena Milutinović serve as business mentors. Company employees participate as jury members in regional competitions across Serbia.
• Wiener Stadtische OsiguranjecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWiener Stadtische provides business mentors and financial support for student company competitions. Staff including Vesna Bosiljčić Petrović serve as business mentors for student teams.
• Ministarstvo prosvete, nauke i tehnološkog razvojaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSerbian Ministry of Education includes JA Serbia's National Student Company Competition on its official calendar of competitions. Ministry officials including Gabriela Grujić (Assistant Minister) and Gabrijela Grujić open annual conferences and award ceremonies. Ministry provides co-funding for programs.
• JA Europe / Junior Achievement WorldwideflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJA Serbia operates under license from JA Worldwide and JA Europe. European competitions (Gen-E) are organized by JA Europe where Serbian national winners compete against national winners from 40 countries. JA Europe provides program frameworks, European competition platforms, and the Girls Go Circular digital platform.
• OraclecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOracle provides financial support for regional business challenge competitions and staff serve on juries for student company competitions. Oracle Academy provides educational technology resources.
• ManpowerGroup SrbijacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManpowerGroup supports the Business Ethics essay competition 'Etička dilema' and annual awards. Company staff including Ana Mijatović and Marina Krculj Pešić serve on competition juries. Company provides business mentors for student companies.
• Bosch (Bosch Serbia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBosch Serbia provides business mentors for student company teams. Business mentor Milovan Jarčević from Bosch supported the MONETA Works team (2025-2026 national winner) in developing their financial literacy board game.
• HenkelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHenkel joined the Makers Lab initiative as a national partner company, contributing knowledge and products to help build quality Makers Labs in Serbian secondary schools.
• TarkettminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTarkett joined the Makers Lab initiative as a national partner company, providing building materials and expertise from its specialists for the 11 new Makers Labs.
• ROMA companyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerROMA company joined the Makers Lab initiative as a national partner company, contributing knowledge and products for building quality Makers Labs in Serbian secondary schools.
• Climate-KIC / Climate Innovation HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate-KIC, part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, supports the 'Mladi inovatori' (Young Innovators) program including the Special Challenge competition. Climate Innovation Hub Serbia is a local partner for program delivery.
• Nestlé SrbijaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNestlé Srbija is listed as a partner organization supporting JA Serbia programs.
• CarmeuseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarmeuse is listed as a partner organization. Staff including Violeta Žigić serves on competition juries at regional student company competitions.
• Centar za promociju nauke (CPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPN is part of the 'Grupa za obrazovanje' (Education Group) along with JA Serbia, Nordeus Foundation, and Digitalna Srbija. CPN provides educational content and promotional support for programs including the Financial Literacy program and Makers Labs.
• Inicijativa Digitalna SrbijacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigitalna Srbija is part of the 'Grupa za obrazovanje' (Education Group) along with JA Serbia, Nordeus Foundation, and CPN. The initiative supports educational innovation, the Financial Literacy program, and opening of the first Entrepreneurship Cabinet in Southeast Serbia.
• KPMG SrbijacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKPMG provides business mentors for student company and business challenge competitions. Company staff including Marijana Pavlović (HR Manager) serves on competition juries. KPMG sponsored the 2017 National Business Challenge.
• MastercardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMastercard provides business mentors for the Financial Literacy program, helping 500 students from 13 schools in 12 Serbian cities learn about banking, telecommunications, and insurance.
• OTP bankaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTP banka provides business mentors for student company competitions and the Financial Literacy program. Bank staff serve on competition juries at regional and national levels.
• A1 SrbijaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA1 provides business mentors for the Financial Literacy program, helping students learn about banking, telecommunications, and insurance sectors.
• Ananas E-commerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnanas E-commerce staff including Stevan Vojvodić (Senior Product Development Manager) serves on the main jury panel for national student company competitions.
• Privredna komora SrbijeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSerbian Chamber of Commerce staff including Mića Mišljenović (Senior Advisor to the President) serves on competition juries at national student company competitions.
• ALDA (European Association for Local Democracy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALDA implements the BOOST Balkans initiative with which the National Student Company Competition is supported, funded by AFD (French Development Agency).
• Naučno-tehnološki park Beograd / NišcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience and Technology Parks of Belgrade and Niš provide support for student programs. The Belgrade NTP was visited by student challenge participants in 2017. The Niš NTP is a partner in the Climate-KIC Youth Innovators program.
• Connecting (Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnecting organization partners with JA Serbia on the Climate-KIC Youth Innovators program and organizes the 'Menadžer SAM na dan' program in cooperation with SAM and Nordeus Foundation. Organization provides trainers and mentors for programs.
• Grupa za obrazovanje (Education Group)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Education Group is a coalition of four organizations: Dostignuća mladih (JA Serbia), Nordeus Foundation, Centar za promociju nauke (CPN), and Inicijativa Digitalna Srbija. Together they implement the Makers Labs initiative, Financial Literacy program, and other educational innovations across Serbia.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Junior Achievement USA: The flagship U.S. member of the Junior Achievement Worldwide network; delivers the same Student Company, financial literacy, and career readiness curricula to high school students that JA Serbia does, under the same global JA brand and methodology.
• Junior Achievement Bosnia and Herzegovina: Another regional JA network peer that co-participates with JA Serbia in the Business Challenge of the Western Balkans; delivers essentially the same secondary-school entrepreneurship and financial literacy programming under the JA Worldwide license.
• Junior Achievement Montenegro: Montenegro's JA member organization; co-competes with JA Serbia in the Business Challenge of the Western Balkans and offers the same Student Company and entrepreneurship education model to Montenegrin secondary school students.
• Junior Achievement Croatia: A direct Western Balkans peer member of the JA network; participates alongside JA Serbia in the annual Business Challenge of the Western Balkans and shares the same Student Company and financial literacy curriculum.

Emerging players

• Enactus: Global non-profit that mobilizes university students to lead social entrepreneurship projects; offers a comparable youth-empowerment and entrepreneurship education model with a strong corporate partner ecosystem, though focused on university rather than secondary school students.
• NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship): Global non-profit that teaches entrepreneurship to youth from low-income communities; offers a similar youth-focused entrepreneurship curriculum and competitions and operates internationally, making it thematically and operationally comparable to JA Serbia.

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global non-profit focused on social entrepreneurship education and youth changemakers; overlaps with JA Serbia's social innovation and entrepreneurship education mission, though Ashoka operates at a broader social-entrepreneurship level rather than via student companies.
• JA Europe: The regional umbrella body of which JA Serbia is a member; operates JA programs across 40+ European countries and runs the Gen-E European Student Company Competition where JA Serbia's national winners compete.
• DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America): International student organization that prepares high school and college students for careers in business, management, and entrepreneurship; offers comparable business education competitions and corporate mentorship programs, primarily in North America.

Others

• UNICEF Serbia: Strategic co-funding partner of JA Serbia on the Upshift social innovation program; an adjacent international organization that runs its own youth skills and education programs in Serbia and operates as a peer ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JA_Serbia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/JASerbia/about
• Facebookfacebook.com/JuniorAchievementSerbia
• Instagraminstagram.com/dostignuca_mladih
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/junior-achievement-serbia

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 Junior Achievement Serbia