STAND Project

What STAND Project does

STAND Project is an Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) consortium project co-financed by the European Union (project no. 618805-EPP-1-2020-1-XK-EPPKA2-CBHE-SP), launched on 3 March 2021 with a kick-off at International Business College Mitrovica (IBC-M) in Kosovo under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Mihone Kerolli Mustafa. Its mandate is to strengthen university autonomy and increase accountability and transparency of Western Balkans universities across Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro, engaging approximately 50,000 persons in higher education.

The project's core technology is the European University Association's (EUA) University Autonomy Scorecard methodology, a structured framework assessing five dimensions: organizational, financial, academic, staffing, and governance autonomy. Deliverables are organized across eight work packages covering scorecard development, governance enhancement, regulation upgrades, technical infrastructure, quality assurance, dissemination, and project management, produced through 17 European partner institutions spanning Western Balkans universities and EU program-country partners (University of Zagreb, University of Foggia, Hamburg University of Technology, EUA itself). Outputs include State of Play reports, country-specific dashboards, scorecard assessment reports, capacity-building workshops, and a Regional Experts Network.

STAND Project is not a commercial enterprise. It has no pricing model, no revenue from customers, and no ownership or equity structure. It is funded entirely by the Erasmus+ grant and provides resources, training, and consulting to partner higher education institutions and Ministries of Education free of charge. Its go-to-market is event-driven consortium delivery (workshops, capacity-building sessions, dissemination conferences) supplemented by a project website, Facebook, and LinkedIn channels.

Name

STAND Project

Legal name

STAND Project

Website

https://stand-project.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

STAND Project is an Erasmus+ CBHE consortium of 17 European universities strengthening governance, autonomy, and transparency of higher education institutions in Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro using EUA's University Autonomy Scorecard methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Governance Capacity Building

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Erasmus+ and Government-Sponsored Exchange Partnerships (EDAIABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK)

Keywords

• University governance
• Higher education reform
• Capacity building
• University autonomy
• Accountability frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

Mitrovica

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Erasmus+ CBHE Grant Funding: The project is co-financed by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union. This is a Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) grant, not a commercial revenue-generating venture. The project number is 618805-EPP-1-2020-1-XK-EPPKA2-CBHE-SP.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

STAND Project is an Erasmus+ funded Capacity Building in Higher Education consortium project that delivers University Autonomy Scorecard assessments, capacity-building workshops, scorecard reports, state-of-play analyses, and policy reform consultations to universities in Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro. It is organized around eight work packages covering scorecard development, governance enhancement, regulation upgrades, technical infrastructure modernization, quality assurance, dissemination, and project management, engaging 17 European partners and approximately 50,000 persons in higher education across the Western Balkans.

Product overview

STAND (Strengthening University Autonomy and Increasing Accountability and Transparency of Western Balkans Universities) is a university governance improvement project rather than a commercial technology product. It operates as a consortium of 17 European partners working to strengthen mechanisms for long-term sustainability of university autonomy, transparency, and accountability. The project engages approximately 50,000 persons in higher education across Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro. Key deliverables include University Autonomy Scorecard assessments, capacity building workshops, scorecard reports, state of play analyses, and a Regional Experts Network. The project is structured around eight work packages covering scorecard development, governance enhancement, regulation upgrades, technical infrastructure, quality assurance, dissemination, and project management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• University Autonomy Scorecard Assessments
• Capacity Building Workshops and Training
• Dissemination Events and Project Showcases

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000 persons to be engaged in higher education across target countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• IBC-M (International Business College Mitrovica)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2021Project coordinator responsible for overall project management, consortium coordination, and leading key work packages including WP2 Development of University Autonomy Scorecards and WP8 Management.
• EUA (European University Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEUA leads the development of the University Autonomy Scorecard methodology (WP2) and provides expertise in governance, funding, and public policy development. EUA offices in Brussels hosted project workshops.
• University of ZagrebmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram country partner leading workshops on financial and academic autonomy. Hosted workshops in July 2021 focusing on organizational and financial autonomy aspects.
• University of Foggia (UniFg)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU partner hosting workshops on university governance, staffing autonomy, and enhancement of university governance for promoting autonomy (WP3 A3.1). Also involved in PhD program opportunities for partner country students.
• Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram country partner contributing to WP5 Technical Infrastructure Modernization and Update, and WP7 Communication Strategy development.
• South East European University (SEEU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted three-day workshop on Leadership and Financial Management covering WP3 Activity 3.1, sharing best practices on university governance.
• POLIS UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlbanian partner hosting workshops including the Analysis of State of Play workshop in May 2021, facilitating assessment of autonomy requirements for Western Balkans HEIs.
• University of MontenegromajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hosting WP6 Quality Plan workshop and 2nd dissemination event in Podgorica, working on national assessment reports.
• University of PrishtinamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey Kosovo partner hosting workshop on University Autonomy Regulations and roundtable presenting Kosovo scorecard assessment report. Lead role in WP2 scorecard development.
• Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës (UAMD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlbanian partner organizing workshops on autonomy dimensions covering promotion of academic staff, research issues, recruitment criteria, and financial autonomy.
• CIHEAM BariminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution through MoU with University of Foggia for transnational cooperation and research initiatives.
• European University Association (EUA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Autonomy & Institutional Empowerment Workshop at EUA offices in Brussels in March 2023, featuring presentations on leadership development and open science.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• EURASHE (European Association of Institutions in Higher Education): EURASHE represents universities of applied sciences and polytechnics across the EHEA, working on similar higher-education governance, autonomy, and quality issues. It is a larger, more established peer addressing overlapping themes.
• International Association of Universities (IAU): IAU is the UNESCO-based global association of higher-education institutions, addressing university autonomy, governance, and accountability at a global scale. It operates as a broader, longer-established peer in the same institutional reform space.

Others

• ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education): ENQA is the umbrella for European higher-education quality assurance agencies, working on overlapping themes of accountability and transparency in HEIs. It addresses an adjacent but distinct dimension of STAND's governance reform agenda.
• European Students' Union (ESU): ESU represents European students in the Bologna Process and on higher-education governance reform, overlapping with STAND on accountability and transparency themes. It is a complementary stakeholder rather than a direct service competitor.

Direct peers

• European University Association (EUA): EUA is the methodology developer for the University Autonomy Scorecard used by STAND and is a core consortium partner. As the pan-European association representing over 850 universities, EUA is the most directly comparable organization in mission, structure, and stakeholder base.
• Academic Cooperation Association (ACA): ACA is a Brussels-based think-tank coordinating the Erasmus+ programme and managing academic cooperation projects. It directly operates in the same EU-funded international higher-education partnership space as STAND.
• Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS): CHEPS is a research centre at the University of Twente producing comparable policy research on higher-education governance, autonomy, and reform. Its research outputs parallel STAND's scorecard and state-of-play analyses.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/project-stand

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about STAND Project