National Entity for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (NEAQA Serbia)

What National Entity for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (NEAQA Serbia) does

NEAQA Serbia is the legally designated national body responsible for accreditation and quality assurance of higher education in the Republic of Serbia. It evaluates and accredits higher education institutions and study programs, currently overseeing 186 institutions and 3,092 accredited programs, supported by a bench of 1,328 peer-review experts. Through June 2026, 176 sessions of its KAPK (Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assurance) review body have been convened, reflecting sustained institutional throughput. The Director is Prof. Dr. Nebojša Zdravković, with Prof. Dr. Stefan Milojević as Assistant Director.

The entity's operational backbone is the NAT2019 proprietary accreditation information system, introduced in 2019, which manages institutional submissions, program data, and review workflows. NEAQA holds CEENQA full membership, ENQA affiliate status, and WFME recognition granted on May 5, 2025, anchoring its standing within European and global quality assurance networks. In July 2025, it signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Slovenia's NAKVIS to prepare for ENQA full membership, and participates in the SEQA-ESG2 Erasmus+ project alongside European peers.

NEAQA operates as a state-funded entity whose revenue combines government budget allocation with accreditation fees paid by institutions. Its mandate is regulatory rather than commercial: decisions are binding and gate access to operating degree programs, public funding eligibility, and international recognition, particularly in medicine following WFME recognition. The customer base is the captive set of Serbian higher education institutions, and expansion signals point toward deeper European integration and broadened accreditation scope rather than commercial scaling.

Name

National Entity for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (NEAQA Serbia)

Legal name

Nacionalno telo za akreditaciju i obezbeđenje kvaliteta u visokom obrazovanju (NAT)

Website

https://nat.rs

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NEAQA Serbia is the legally designated national accreditation and quality assurance body for Serbian higher education, evaluating 186 institutions and 3,092 study programs via a 1,328-strong peer-reviewer network and the NAT2019 information system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Accreditation and Quality Assurance

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Institutional Accreditors (Career, Faith-Based, Distance, etc.) (EDADACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Institutional & Programmatic Accreditation Audits (EDADAGAA), Accreditation Evaluation, Peer Review & Site-Visit Organizations (EDADACAI), International/Transnational Accreditation & Recognition Bodies (EDADACAG)

Keywords

• Higher education accreditation
• Quality assurance services
• Institutional accreditation
• Study program accreditation
• Education quality standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Belgrade

HQ country

Serbia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Budget Funding: As a government regulatory body, NEAQA Serbia operates under state budget funding from the Republic of Serbia. Revenue is derived from government appropriations rather than commercial operations.
2. Accreditation Fees: Higher education institutions pay accreditation fees to NEAQA Serbia for processing accreditation applications for institutions and study programs. Fees are invoiced by NEAQA Serbia and must be paid prior to submission of accreditation requests. Fees also apply for issuance of accreditation certificates. No refund is provided if an institution withdraws its accreditation request.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NEAQA Serbia is the statutory national accreditation body that evaluates and accredits higher education institutions and study programs in the Republic of Serbia. It conducts external quality assurance reviews aligned with European Standards and Guidelines (ESG), operates the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (KAPK) that issues legally binding accreditation decisions, and maintains the public registry of accredited institutions and programs. The organization also provides the NAT2019 electronic accreditation software used by institutions to prepare and submit accreditation documentation.

Product overview

NEAQA Serbia operates as a national accreditation and quality assurance body for higher education. The organization provides a unified service portfolio centered on accreditation of higher education institutions and study programs, complemented by external quality assurance evaluations. Key offerings include institutional accreditation, study program accreditation, initial accreditation, and external quality checks aligned with European ESG standards. The NAT2019 software platform supports institutions in preparing and submitting accreditation documentation through electronic forms, available in three deployment modes (local multi-computer, local single-computer, or cloud-based access). The Guide for Students publication documents all accredited institutions and programs from 2007-2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accreditation Services Core accreditation services for higher education institutions and study programs in Serbia, including initial accreditation, institutional accreditation, and study program accreditation, with a 7-year accreditation validity period. Decisions are issued by the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (KAPK).
• External Quality Assurance (EQA)

Quantifiable outcome

• 186 accredited institutions and 3,092 accredited study programs managed through the accreditation system, covering the period 2007-2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NAKVIS (Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2025NEAQA Serbia signed a strategic agreement with NAKVIS (Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education), engaging Dr. Franci Demšar (Director of NAKVIS, former Minister of Defense of Slovenia and former Ambassador to Russia, President of CEENQA 2020-2022) and Maja Milas (Head of Analytics and IT Department at NAKVIS) as consultants. The partnership aims to enhance NEAQA's quality management system and strengthen preparations for full ENQA membership application. NAKVIS is a full member of ENQA and registered in EQAR, providing a strong model for alignment with European standards.
• ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAQA Serbia is an affiliate member of ENQA and is working toward full membership. ENQA is the primary European association for quality assurance agencies in higher education, setting the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG). NEAQA participates in ENQA seminars, workshops, and the annual members' forum. The SEQA-ESG2 project, supported by ENQA, assists NEAQA in enhancing its quality assurance systems.
• CEENQA (Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAQA Serbia is a full member of CEENQA with voting rights. NEAQA participates in CEENQA General Assemblies and annual workshops. At the 2025 General Assembly in Tallinn, NEAQA participated in decisions on annual reports, financial reports, and the budget, as well as elections for new Board members. The next General Assembly is scheduled for 2026 in Split, organized by AZVO of Croatia.
• AKOKVO (Agency for Quality Control in Higher Education of Montenegro)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAQA Serbia and AKOKVO signed a cooperation agreement in June 2019 in Podgorica, covering exchange of experiences in implementing new accreditation and quality assurance methodologies aligned with European standards. A cooperation agreement was signed and NEAQA hosted an official delegation visit from AKOKVO in May 2025. Discussions covered challenges in quality assurance, best practices, procedures alignment, and possibilities for joint projects and initiatives.
• WFME (World Federation for Medical Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAQA Serbia was granted Recognition Status by WFME on May 5, 2025. This recognition confirms that Serbia has an internationally recognized quality assurance system in medical education. The recognition process was supported by ongoing collaboration with medical faculties in Serbia, and enables medical doctor diplomas from Serbia to be recognized worldwide for specialization and professional development abroad.
• AIKA (Quality Agency for Higher Education of the Netherlands)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAQA Serbia was a partner in the ERASMUS+ KA3 EUniQ project led by AIKA (Quality Agency for Higher Education of the Netherlands) from May 2019 to May 2021. The project supported QA agencies in addressing methodological challenges and developing joint QA methodologies. The partnership included eight QA agencies, six HE ministries, and European stakeholders' associations EUA, ESU, and ENQA.
• Erasmus+ SEQA-ESG2 ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAQA Serbia is a partner in the SEQA-ESG2 project, funded by Erasmus+. The project supports the enhancement of quality assurance systems in higher education in Serbia and other participating countries. Activities include peer-learning workshops, international visits (e.g., NEAQA Director's visit to AQU Catalunya in Barcelona, March 2025), and coordination with ENQA. Novi Sad hosted the fourth peer-learning workshop in May 2025.
• AZVO/ASHE (Agency for Science and Higher Education of Croatia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAQA Serbia cooperates with AZVO (Croatia) through participation in regional workshops and CEENQA activities. AZVO organized the 2026 CEENQA General Assembly to be held in Split. Collaboration also occurs through the SEQA-ESG2 project and the Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE).
• AQU Catalunya (Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency, Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAQA Serbia Director Prof. Dr. Nebojša Zdravković conducted an official three-day visit to AQU Catalunya in Barcelona from March 24-26, 2025, as part of the SEQA-ESG2 project. The visit facilitated professional exchange on quality assurance practices and alignment with European standards.
• NAQA (National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance of Ukraine)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAQA Serbia held an online meeting with NAQA (Ukraine) in February 2025 to exchange experiences in reviewer training and evaluation methodologies in accreditation processes. This cooperation supports knowledge sharing between quality assurance agencies amid Ukraine's circumstances.
• AVORS (Agency for Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAQA Serbia held an online meeting with AVORS in January 2025. The meeting focused on cooperation and exchange of experiences in quality assurance, with participation from AVORS Director Prof. Dr. Biljana Vojvodić and NEAQA's Prof. Dr. Stefan Milojević.
• HAHE (Hellenic Authority for Higher Education, Greece)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEAQA Serbia conducted an official visit to HAHE (Greece) with a delegation led by Director Prof. Dr. Nebojša Zdravković and Deputy Director Prof. Dr. Stefan Milojević. The visit aimed to strengthen international cooperation and exchange best practices in higher education quality assurance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AZVO/ASHE (Croatian Agency for Science and Higher Education): Croatia's national accreditation body for higher education. Regional counterpart that participates in CEENQA alongside NEAQA, hosts the 2026 CEENQA General Assembly in Split, and operates the same institutional/program accreditation model.
• NVAO (Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders): Binational accreditation organisation for higher education in the Netherlands and Flanders. Comparable in mandate and European standing, full ENQA/EQAR member.
• AVORS (Agency for Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina): Bosnia and Herzegovina entity-level accreditation agency for higher education. Direct peer engaging in experience exchange with NEAQA on quality assurance methodologies.
• HAHE (Hellenic Authority for Higher Education, Greece): Greece's national quality assurance and accreditation agency for higher education. Direct peer; NEAQA's leadership conducted an official visit to HAHE to align standards and best practices.
• NAQA (National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance of Ukraine): Ukraine's national agency for higher education quality assurance. Direct peer with identical mandate, engaged in bilateral review cooperation with NEAQA in 2025.
• AQU Catalunya (Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency): Spain's regional quality assurance agency and ENQA/EQAR member. Direct peer; NEAQA Director conducted an official three-day peer exchange at AQU Catalunya in March 2025.
• NAKVIS (Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education): Slovenia's national accreditation and quality assurance agency for higher education. Direct peer with identical mandate: accrediting institutions and study programs, full ENQA member, EQAR-registered, and active partner of NEAQA via the 2025 strategic consulting agreement.
• AKOKVO (Agency for Quality Control in Higher Education of Montenegro): Montenegro's accreditation and quality assurance agency for higher education. Direct peer with cooperation agreement signed with NEAQA in 2019, focused on aligned European standards implementation.

Others

• WFME (World Federation for Medical Education): International body that granted NEAQA Recognition Status in 2025. Not a competing agency but the governing recognition authority that confers international portability of medical education accreditation outcomes.

Broad incumbents

• QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, UK): UK's independent quality body for higher education. Comparable in mandate (institutional and program-level QA) but operates at much larger scale and within a mature, larger higher education market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naeqa

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Entity for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (NEAQA Serbia)