Partners Albania for Change and Development
Partners Albania for Change and Development is a Tirana-based, 25-year-old Albanian civil society organization providing capacity building, grant management, and entrepreneurship support to CSOs, social enterprises, startups, youth, and municipalities, funded primarily by institutional donors including Sida, SDC, EU, and GIZ.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersTirana, Albania
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Partners Albania for Change and Development does
Partners Albania for Change and Development (Partnerët Shqipëri për Ndryshim dhe Zhvillim) is an Albanian civil society organization founded in 2001 and headquartered in Tirana, with 25 employees. It functions as a non-profit platform of programs rather than a unified technology product, operating across four core program areas: (1) enabling environment and sustainable development of civil society, anchored by the National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania (resourcecentre.al); (2) entrepreneurship and social innovation, including the Dua Partner Invest platform and the Green Business Competition (running annually since 2012); (3) philanthropic activity and support infrastructure, including crowdfunding and community foundations; and (4) transparent and accountable participatory governance. It also manages financial schemes including the Challenge Fund (EU4Innovation Phase II, 2023-2026), the EU4CELC Lab of Tomorrow circular business incubation program (with GIZ), the TWIST project on social reuse of confiscated assets, and the RisiAlbania youth employment program (with Helvetas, funded by SDC since 2013).
The organization serves multiple customer segments: civil society organizations (primary), social enterprises and startups (via Challenge Fund and Green Business Competition), youth and women (employment programs), municipalities and local government (social enterprise deployment), the business sector (fee-for-service training), and donor institutions (grant management and implementation). Revenue is sourced primarily from institutional development grants and bilateral/multilateral donors (Sida, SDC, EU, GIZ, BMZ, Erasmus+), with smaller fee-for-service training and consulting income and a 45m2 meeting room rental facility. The underlying technology stack is minimal — the organization runs a bilingual website (Albanian/English), Facebook, YouTube, and email newsletters, and operates the Dua Partner Invest investment platform as a matchmaking mechanism rather than a proprietary technology product. Its strategic moat is anchored in 25 years of institutional trust, deep donor relationships, and its position as the host of the National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania.
Partners Albania for Change and Development firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Partners Albania for Change and Development
- Legal name
- Partners Albania for Change and Development
- Website
- https://partnersalbania.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Partners Albania for Change and Development is a Tirana-based, 25-year-old Albanian civil society organization providing capacity building, grant management, and entrepreneurship support to CSOs, social enterprises, startups, youth, and municipalities, funded primarily by institutional donors including Sida, SDC, EU, and GIZ.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Partners Albania for Change and Development industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civil Society Development and Nonprofit Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Governance, Public Financial Management & Service Delivery Reform (BPADAEAD), Development Finance, Guarantees & Blended Finance Programs (BPADABAM), Education, Skills & Workforce Development Aid Programs (BPADABAE), Technical Assistance, Policy Lending & Capacity Building Programs (BPADACAN)
Keywords
Where Partners Albania for Change and Development is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tirana
- HQ country
- Albania
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Partners Albania for Change and Development business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Development Funding and Grants: Primary funding comes from international development agencies, EU programs, and bilateral donors including Sida, SDC, EU, GIZ, and others. Partners Albania acts as implementing partner and grant manager rather than revenue-generating entity.
- Fee-for-Service Training and Consulting: Offers paid services including training programs, knowledge exchange, institutional capacity building, dialogue facilitation, and thematic discussions for business sector, donor institutions, and nonprofit sector. Includes a 45m2 meeting room facility for events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Fee-for-service training and consulting |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Partners Albania for Change and Development product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Partners Albania for Change and Development is a civil society organization that delivers capacity-building programs, manages grant competitions and financial schemes, and provides training and consulting services to civil society organizations, social enterprises, startups, municipalities, and donor institutions. Its core work includes running the National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania, the Green Business Competition, the Challenge Fund, the TWIST project on social entrepreneurship in confiscated assets, and the Dua Partner Invest investment platform. Primary operations are funded through grants from international development donors and supplemented by fee-for-service training and consulting delivered to the business, donor, and nonprofit sectors.
Product overview
Partners Albania for Change and Development is a civil society organization operating as a platform of programs and services rather than a unified technology product. The organization offers multiple interconnected programs including: the National Resource Centre for Civil Society providing organizational support infrastructure; the Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Program supporting start-ups; the Green Business Competition fostering environmental innovation; the TWIST Project enabling social enterprise in confiscated assets; the Challenge Fund providing grants for innovative MSMEs; the Incubation and Grant Management Program for circular economy solutions; the Philanthropy Program developing crowdfunding and community foundations; and the Transparent Governance Program promoting civic engagement. Supporting services include a Training Catalogue offering capacity-building programs and an equipped 45m2 meeting room for events. These programs work together to advance civil society development, social entrepreneurship, and economic inclusion in Albania.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania: Resource centre supporting civil society organizations in Albania
- Dua Partner Invest platform
- Green Business Competition
- Challenge Fund | EU for Innovation
- TWIST Project
- Invest for Change - I4C
- RisiAlbania
Products and services
- Green Business Competition Annual competition stimulating and encouraging innovation for green business ideas at local level, supporting sustainable economic development initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals in the Western Balkans.
- Challenge Fund | EU for Innovation 2023-2026 Grant scheme managed by Sida and implemented with Partners Albania to improve and diversify finance opportunities for Albanian start-ups and MSMEs with innovative solutions, including capacity-building programs.
- TWIST Project - ToWards a new socIal entrepreneurShip model in confiscaTed assets EU-funded 3-year project enabling CSOs to engage in social entrepreneurship practices for social re-use of confiscated assets to prevent and combat organized crime in Albania.
- National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania Resource centre providing support, information, and capacity-building resources for civil society organizations in Albania, hosted and managed by Partners Albania.
- Lab of Tomorrow Circular Business Incubation Program Albania's first Circular Business Incubation program managing grants for local SMEs to create circular solutions for glass waste management, part of EU4CELC project implemented by GIZ Albania.
- Dua Partner Invest Platform Investment platform connecting entrepreneurs with funding opportunities and partners in support of social entrepreneurship.
- CAUSE - Confiscated Assets Used for Social Experimentation Initiative Initiative supporting social entrepreneurship development through the use of confiscated assets to combat organized crime and stimulate social economy.
- RisiAlbania Youth Employment Program Youth employment project implemented by Helvetas and Partners Albania since 2013, funded by Swiss Development Cooperation, focused on increasing employment opportunities for young people through systematic changes in the Albanian labor market.
- WB&T for EmploYouth - Youth Hub for Western Balkans and Turkey Cross-border youth employment initiative supporting young people across Western Balkans and Turkey through social entrepreneurship and labor market integration programs.
- Enabling Environment and Sustainable Development of Civil Society Program Program supporting the enabling environment and sustainable development of civil society organizations in Albania, including capacity building, advocacy support, and resource centre services.
- Philanthropy Program Program raising awareness on the economic and social value of philanthropic activity and developing online crowdfunding platforms and community foundations in Albania.
- Transparent and Accountable Participatory Governance Program Program empowering CSOs in monitoring roles and policy engagement, promoting transparent governance and civic participation in Albania.
- Training Catalogue Paid catalogue of training services offered to business sector, donor institutions, and nonprofit sector, including capacity building, facilitation, and thematic discussions, available in-person and online.
- Event Facilities (45m2 Meeting Room) Equipped 45m2 meeting room available for events, trainings, meetings, and conferences, adaptable to various formats including cocktail, theater style, and round table.
- Civil Society Programme for Albania and Kosovo Norway-funded programme supporting civil society organizations in Albania and Kosovo through grants and capacity building.
- EMBRACE - Entrepreneurship Models Building Relations and Creative Economy Program supporting entrepreneurship models, creative economy, and cross-border relations among social enterprises in Albania.
- Invest for Change - I4C Financial scheme for change and development initiatives supporting impact-driven organizations and social enterprises in Albania.
- LevizAlbania Grant program supporting civic initiatives and active citizenship through small grants to community-based organizations and informal groups in Albania.
- Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Program Program supporting innovative start-ups, social entrepreneurship development, and employment promotion for women and youth through training and support programs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 57 startup winners supported through Challenge Fund across 3 calls
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Partners Albania for Change and Development
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Partners Albania for Change and Development technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Partners Albania for Change and Development partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- GIZ AlbaniacoreImplementing partner for EU4Circular Economy and Livable Cities (EU4CELC) project. Partners Albania serves as grant implementer for Lab of Tomorrow circular business incubation program focused on glass waste solutions.
- LIBERA – Associazioni, nomi e numeri contro le mafie (Italy)coreTWIST project consortium coordinator. Italian anti-mafia association leading the 3-year EU-funded project on social entrepreneurship in confiscated assets. Partners Albania and Tirana Municipality are implementing partners with cooperation from Agency for Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AAPSK).
- Tirana MunicipalitycorePart of TWIST project consortium for social reuse of confiscated assets. Municipality collaborates with Partners Albania and Libera to create social entrepreneurship paths and facilitate local implementation.
- PREDIF (Spain)majorEYSET project partner focused on accessible tourism and social entrepreneurship. Spanish organization working with youth with disabilities.
- Diesis Network (Belgium)majorEYSET project partner from Brussels. Cooperative development organization contributing to social entrepreneurship and youth empowerment initiatives.
- Southeast European Youth Network (SEEYN) - Bosnia & HerzegovinamajorEYSET project partner from Western Balkans region. Regional youth network working on social inclusion and labor market integration.
- Agency for Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AAPSK)majorGovernment agency cooperating in TWIST project for social reuse of confiscated assets. Key stakeholder for policy implementation and asset management.
- Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation (Serbia)majorWB&T for EmploYouth project partner. Serbian foundation working on youth employment and social entrepreneurship in Western Balkans.
- Community Volunteers Foundation (Turkey)majorWB&T for EmploYouth project partner. Turkish organization contributing to cross-border youth employment initiatives.
- Helvetas Swiss IntercooperationcoreImplementing partner in RisiAlbania project (since 2013) focused on increasing employment opportunities for young people. SDC-funded project implementing systematic changes in Albanian labor market.
- National Resource Centre for Civil Society in AlbaniacorePartners Albania hosts and manages the National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania (resourcecentre.al), providing resources, publications, and support services to CSOs nationwide.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights12 records
Partners Albania for Change and Development competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation: Swiss-based international development NGO implementing programs in partnership with SDC across the Balkans and beyond. Direct peer — Partners Albania co-implements RisiAlbania with Helvetas, and both operate as civil society capacity-building implementers using comparable grant management and capacity-building models.
- Swisscontact: Swiss foundation for development cooperation focused on economic inclusion, entrepreneurship and vocational skills. Direct peer — runs comparable entrepreneurship-support, skills development, and inclusive economic programs in Albania and the Western Balkans with SDC and other donors, directly overlapping RisiAlbania-style work.
- European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL): International not-for-profit focused on enabling environment for civil society, legal frameworks, and CSO advocacy. Direct peer — overlaps with Partners Albania on civic freedoms monitoring and CSO enabling environment work, and is referenced in Partners Albania's own COVID-era civic freedoms publications.
- Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN): Regional network supporting civil society organizations across the Western Balkans. Direct peer — both operate in the same CSO enabling-environment space in Albania and the broader region, with overlapping donor base (EU, Sida, SDC) and similar capacity-building programming for local CSOs.
- Diesis Network: Belgian cooperative development network supporting social economy, social enterprises, and CSOs across Europe. Direct peer — Partners Albania partners with Diesis on EYSET, and both organizations operate in overlapping social entrepreneurship and civil society capacity-building domains.
- Open Society Foundation Albania: Albanian foundation supporting civil society, democracy, and accountability programs. Direct peer — operates in the same CSO enabling-environment and governance space in Albania, with overlapping funder base and customer segments (Albanian CSOs).
Broad incumbents
- Aga Khan Foundation Albania: Branch of the Aga Khan Development Network operating civil society, education, and economic development programs in Albania. Broad incumbent — comparable international non-profit model with multi-thematic programming (education, civil society, economic development) in the same Albanian operating environment.
- GIZ Albania: German federal development agency implementing BMZ-funded programs in Albania. Broad incumbent — Partners Albania is itself a sub-implementer under GIZ on EU4CELC, and GIZ operates comparable civil society and economic development programs that overlap with Partners Albania's portfolio.
- SNV Netherlands Development Organisation: Large Dutch development organization operating across multiple sectors including governance and civil society in the Western Balkans. Broad incumbent — operates in overlapping donor-funded CSO capacity-building space with significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
Regional players
- Civikos Network: Kosovo-based civil society platform supporting CSO development in Kosovo with similar models of capacity building, advocacy, and resource mobilization. Regional peer — same organizational archetype as Partners Albania (national CSO intermediary) but operating primarily in Kosovo rather than Albania.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Partners Albania for Change and Development social profiles
Digital presencePartners Albania for Change and Development financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Partners Albania for Change and Development leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Partners Albania for Change and Development funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Partners Albania for Change and Development M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Partners Albania for Change and Development
What does Partners Albania for Change and Development do?
Partners Albania for Change and Development is a civil society organization that delivers capacity-building programs, manages grant competitions and financial schemes, and provides training and consulting services to civil society organizations, social enterprises, startups, municipalities, and donor institutions. Its core work includes running the National Resource Centre for Civil Society in Albania, the Green Business Competition, the Challenge Fund, the TWIST project on social entrepreneurship in confiscated assets, and the Dua Partner Invest investment platform. Primary operations are funded through grants from international development donors and supplemented by fee-for-service training and consulting delivered to the business, donor, and nonprofit sectors.
Is Partners Albania for Change and Development a public or private company?
Partners Albania for Change and Development is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Partners Albania for Change and Development founded?
Partners Albania for Change and Development was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Partners Albania for Change and Development based?
Partners Albania for Change and Development is headquartered in Tirana, Albania, in the Europe region.
How does Partners Albania for Change and Development make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Development Funding and Grants are the primary driver. The others are fee-for-Service Training and Consulting.
Who are Partners Albania for Change and Development's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, Swisscontact, European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL), Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN), Diesis Network and Open Society Foundation Albania. Broad incumbents are Aga Khan Foundation Albania, GIZ Albania and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation. Civikos Network is listed as a regional player.
Does Partners Albania for Change and Development have an API?
No public API is recorded for Partners Albania for Change and Development.
What industry is Partners Albania for Change and Development in?
Partners Albania for Change and Development's product category is Civil Society Development and Nonprofit Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADABAO, Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs, with a secondary code of BPADAEAD, Governance, Public Financial Management & Service Delivery Reform. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8600.