ZPS - Združenie podnikateľov Slovenska

What ZPS - Združenie podnikateľov Slovenska does

Združenie podnikateľov Slovenska (ZPS), also known as the Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia, is a non-profit business interest association founded on December 16, 1989, immediately following the Velvet Revolution, making it the oldest entrepreneurs' organization in Slovakia. Headquartered at Cukrová 14, Bratislava, with a 5-person staff, ZPS represents the interests of Slovak small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs in legislative processes, having commented on 101 regulations in 2020 alone and participated in drafting foundational post-1989 entrepreneurship laws including the private entrepreneurship law (Law 105) and income tax law. The organization's core activities center on legislative advocacy, anti-bureaucracy campaigning (notably the Byrokratický nezmysel roka initiative running since 2012), business competitions (Podnikateľka Slovenska for 20+ years, Mladý inovatívny podnikateľ since 2008), and content production including infographics, publications on family business succession, and a video talk show called 'Poďme k veci.'

The business model is membership-fee based (subscription recurring), with revenue generated through členské príspevky paid by member companies and entrepreneurs. Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed. ZPS operates a coalition-driven GTM approach through long-standing strategic partnerships with Republiková únia zamestnávate�ov (RÚZ), Slovak Business Agency (SBA), Združenie mladých podnikateľov Slovenska (ZMPS), Slovenský živnostenský zväz (SZZ), and others, which jointly organize advocacy initiatives and the Byrokratický nezmysel project. Distribution is domestic only (Slovakia), with members spanning SME, family business, and individual entrepreneur segments. Quantifiable impact claimed by ZPS includes EUR 8.3 million in savings from occupational health service legislation comments, EUR 3.4 million in prevented concession fee increases, and identification of EUR 42 million in GDPR-related compliance costs to SMEs.

The organization is led by President Ján Oravec, who co-founded ZPS in 1989. It has no parent company, subsidiaries, equity ownership structure, or institutional investors; stakeholders are member companies and the broader Slovak entrepreneurial community. ZPS won the 2015 European Enterprise Promotion Awards in the Model Initiatives category from the European Commission, the only major external recognition documented in the input data.

Name

ZPS - Združenie podnikateľov Slovenska

Legal name

Združenie podnikateľov Slovenska

Website

https://zps.sk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Združenie podnikateľov Slovenska (ZPS) is Slovakia's oldest entrepreneurs' association, founded 1989, representing Slovak SMEs in legislative advocacy through regulatory commenting, anti-bureaucracy campaigns, and business competitions, funded by membership fees from member companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bratislava

HQ country

Slovakia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Membership fees (Členské príspevky): The association generates revenue through membership fees paid by member companies and entrepreneurs. Members pay contributions to support the organization's activities in advocating for Slovak businesses.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Združenie podnikateľov Slovenska (ZPS) is a Slovak business interest association founded in 1989 that advocates for entrepreneurs and small/medium businesses. Its core offering centers on legislative commentary, representation in tripartite negotiations, and public campaigns to reduce bureaucratic burden, complemented by membership services, business competitions, and informational publications on the business environment.

Product overview

ZPS - Združenie podnikateľov Slovenska (Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia) is a business interest association and advocacy organization, not a software product company. It does not offer a unified platform or modular software product. Its primary activities are lobbying, legislative advocacy, and member services. The organization runs several named programs and initiatives including the annual anti-bureaucracy award 'Byrokratický nezmysel roka,' the 'Mladý inovatívny podnikateľ' competition for young entrepreneurs, informational publications and infographics on business topics, and conferences on education and business environment topics. It also maintains a public website providing news, legislative analysis, and contact information for its members and the broader business community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Byrokratický nezmysel roka (Bureaucratic Absurdity of the Year) An annual anti-award campaign and public poll that identifies and highlights absurd legislative measures and administrative burdens that unnecessarily complicate business life in Slovakia, pressuring policymakers to remove them.
• Mladý inovatívny podnikateľ (Young Innovative Entrepreneur) A national competition for young entrepreneurs aged 18-40 who apply innovative approaches in their businesses, with winners nominated for the international 'Creative Young Entrepreneur Award' organized by Junior Chamber International.
• Rodinné podnikanie na Slovensku (Family Business Publications)

Quantifiable outcome

• 101 regulations commented on in 2020 alone through legislative process
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Republiková únia zamestnávateľov (RÚZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership in organizing business advocacy initiatives. RÚZ (Republic Union of Employers) collaborates with ZPS on projects including Byrokratický nezmysel roka, representing employer interests in tripartite negotiations and sharing resources for business environment improvement.
• Slovak Business Agency (SBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the national platform for SME support. SBA serves as a unique platform connecting public and private sectors for small and medium business support. ZPS collaborates with SBA on educational initiatives, better regulation advocacy, and family business support programs.
• Podnikajte.skminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with popular Slovak business portal providing information and resources for entrepreneurs. Portal is listed as a partner on ZPS website.
• Slovenský živnostenský zväz (SZZ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Slovak Trade and Business Association. SZZ represents tradespeople and small businesses, collaborating with ZPS on advocacy for business-friendly legislation.
• Nadácia EX LABORE GLORIAminorOthersFoundation listed as a partner on ZPS website, representing non-profit support for entrepreneurship.
• Združenie mladých podnikateľov Slovenska (ZMPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership with Young Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia. ZMPS is the organizer of Byrokratický nezmysel roka, with ZPS serving as professional guarantor. ZMPS also organizes Mladý inovatívny podnikateľ competition.
• Slovenská komora daňových poradcovminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Slovak Chamber of Tax Advisors, collaborating on Byrokratický nezmysel roka project and sharing expertise on tax-related bureaucratic issues.
• Centrum lepšej regulácie (Slovak Business Agency)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional consultant for Byrokratický nezmysel roka project, providing analytical expertise on regulatory impact assessment and better regulation practices.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eurochambres: Eurochambres is the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the EU-level network of national chambers. Comparable to ZPS as a parallel business-membership federation model operating at the European level.
• BusinessEurope: BusinessEurope is the leading pan-European business confederation representing national employer and business federations across the EU. It is relevant to ZPS as the EU-level umbrella to which Slovak employer voices including ZPS can plug in.

Others

• Nadácia EX LABORE GLORIA: A Slovak foundation supporting entrepreneurship, listed as a partner on the ZPS website. It is thematically adjacent as a non-profit ecosystem player in Slovak entrepreneurship promotion rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia (AmCham Slovakia): AmCham Slovakia is a business membership association representing domestic and international companies in Slovakia. It competes with ZPS for member relevance in policy advocacy and business environment improvement.
• Združenie mladých podnikateľov Slovenska (ZMPS): The Young Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia is a long-term ZPS partner and the organizer of Byrokratický nezmysel roka, with ZPS acting as professional guarantor. It targets the same Slovak SME community with a generational/age sub-focus.
• Konfederácia zamestnávateľských zväzov (KZZ): KZZ is a Slovak confederation of employer associations active in tripartite negotiations. It directly competes with ZPS in representing collective employer interests to the Slovak government.
• Slovenský živnostenský zväz (SZZ): The Slovak Trade and Business Association represents tradespeople and small businesses and is listed as a ZPS partner. It addresses the same SME/tradesman constituency in Slovakia with overlapping legislative commentary and member services.
• Slovak Business Agency (SBA): SBA is the state-backed national SME support platform. Listed as a ZPS partner, it directly competes for SME member mindshare and government-channel influence on SME policy.
• Republiková únia zamestnávateľov (RÚZ): The Republic Union of Employers is Slovakia's other major business/employer association. It is a named ZPS strategic partner and co-organizer of the Byrokratický nezmysel campaign, directly overlapping in advocacy for SME and employer interests in tripartite negotiations.
• Slovenská obchodná a priemyselná komora (SOPK): The Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the statutory chamber representing Slovak businesses domestically and internationally. It overlaps with ZPS in business advocacy and SME representation in Slovakia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zdruzenie-podnikatelov

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 ZPS - Združenie podnikateľov Slovenska