Institute for Democracy and Mediation

What Institute for Democracy and Mediation does

The Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) is an Albanian non-governmental think tank founded in 1999 by Sotiraq Hroni and headquartered in Tirana. It operates five programmatic areas — Governance, Civic Space, Security, EU and the Balkans, and Decentralization — and produces independent applied research, policy monitoring reports, public opinion polls, training modules, and advocacy positions. Its flagship outputs include the National PAR Monitor Albania (part of the WeBER 3.0 regional initiative), the annual Trust in Governance Opinion Poll (running 11 consecutive years since 2013), the National Violent Extremism Assessment, the Police Integrity and Corruption Knowledge Hub, and the Public Consultation Training Module delivered with ASPA. The organization holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and is governed by a Board of Trustees and Advisory Council under founder-led management.

IDM serves Albanian central and local government institutions, civil society organizations, security-sector stakeholders, and youth/educational institutions, with operational reach extending across the Western Balkans. Its business model is exclusively donor-funded; revenue is generated through grants and project contracts from institutional donors including the European Union, Austrian Development Agency, National Endowment for Democracy, U.S. Embassy in Tirana, and UNDP Albania, rather than commercial fees. Distribution is achieved through direct engagement with public authorities, free-access publication downloads via the IDM website, training and technical assistance programs, and participation in regional networks such as the Think for Europe Network and the Balkan Security Platform.

Name

Institute for Democracy and Mediation

Legal name

Institute for Democracy and Mediation

Website

https://idmalbania.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IDM is a Tirana-based Albanian think tank founded in 1999 that conducts independent policy research, governance monitoring, and capacity building on democracy, security, and EU integration for government institutions, civil society, and policy stakeholders in the Western Balkans, funded entirely through international donor grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tirana

HQ country

Albania

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donor-Funded Projects and Programs: IDM operates primarily through grants and projects funded by international donors, development agencies, and governmental organizations including European Union, Austrian Development Cooperation, UNDP, National Endowment for Democracy, and U.S. Embassy in Tirana. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts and donor funding cycles.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IDM is an independent policy think tank that delivers applied research, policy analysis, capacity-building training, and technical assistance to government institutions, civil society organizations, and security-sector stakeholders in Albania and the wider Western Balkans. Its work covers governance, public administration reform, EU integration, security, civic space, and local governance through flagship research outputs (e.g., Trust in Governance Poll, PAR Monitor Albania, Violent Extremism Assessment) and contracted donor-funded projects.

Product overview

The Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) is a research and policy think tank that produces analytical publications and research reports rather than commercial software products. Its portfolio consists of monitoring reports (PAR Monitor, Trust in Governance polls, Violent Extremism assessments), policy guidance documents (Local Public Safety Councils roadmap), training modules (Public Consultation training), and advocacy positions (DSA alignment). These outputs serve government institutions, civil society, and policy stakeholders in Albania and the Western Balkans region, focusing on governance reform, EU integration, security, and civic engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WeBER (Western Balkans Enabling Project for Civil Society Engagement in PAR Monitoring): Flagship initiative focused on public administration reform monitoring in the Western Balkans, implemented through the Think for Europe Network.
• Trust in Governance
• Violent Extremism Assessment
• Police Integrity
• BAT (Budget Accountability and Transparency)
• Smart Balkans

Products and services

• National PAR Monitor Albania Evidence-based monitoring report on Public Administration Reform in Albania, part of the WeBER 3.0 regional initiative, for government institutions and donors tracking PAR progress.
• Trust in Governance Annual Opinion Poll Annual longitudinal public opinion poll tracking citizen trust in public institutions, transparency, accountability, and corruption perceptions in Albania, conducted under the Open Government Partnership.
• National Violent Extremism Assessment National assessment analyzing socio-economic, political, and cultural drivers of violent extremism in Albania, intended for security policymakers and international partners.
• Police Integrity and Corruption Knowledge Hub Curated hub of reports, blueprints, policy papers, and monitoring tools covering police integrity, accountability, and anti-corruption measures, for security sector stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 564 publications produced and distributed to government institutions, civil society, youth, and educational institutions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Think for Europe Network (TEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDM is a member of the Think for Europe Network (TEN), a regional initiative for monitoring and supporting PAR implementation in the Western Balkans through the WeBER 3.0 project.
• SMART BalkansflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMART Balkans is a flagship project implemented by IDM focusing on civil society oversight, budget accountability, and transparency in the Western Balkans region.
• WeBER (Western Balkans Enabling Project for Civil Society Engagement in Public Administration Reform)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDM leads the WeBER initiative for Albania, monitoring Public Administration Reform through evidence-based methodology as part of the Think for Europe Network.
• Balkan Security PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDM participates in the Balkan Security Platform network for security governance and regional cooperation.
• UNDP AlbaniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP has partnered with IDM since 2013 on the Open Government Partnership and Trust in Governance Opinion Poll, supporting citizen-centric public service delivery.
• Transparency InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on anti-corruption research and state capture analysis, including joint publications on grand corruption in Albania.
• Albanian School of Public Administration (ASPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for piloting and delivering the Public Consultation Training Module, with civil servants certified through ASPA programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• European Stability Initiative: Berlin-based think tank producing strategic analysis on Western Balkans and EU enlargement policy. Broad incumbent peer of IDM: covers the same region and topics (governance reform, EU accession, rule of law) but at a wider geographic and thematic scope, with significantly larger publishing output.
• International Crisis Group: Global conflict prevention and governance think tank with extensive Western Balkans coverage. Broad incumbent peer of IDM: addresses overlapping themes (security governance, EU enlargement, civil society space) but operates globally with deeper resources and a wider portfolio than a country-specific NGO.

Direct peers

• European Policy Institute: Skopje-based think tank producing policy analysis on EU integration, rule of law, and Western Balkans governance. Direct peer of IDM through the TEN/WeBER network, with a near-identical product set (PAR monitoring, policy briefs, donor-funded research) in a neighboring Western Balkan jurisdiction.
• Group for Legal and Political Studies: Albanian think tank focused on rule of law, democratic governance, and EU integration policy research. Direct peer of IDM: same country, overlapping thematic areas (governance, EU accession, public administration reform), and competing for the same EU/donor funding pool.
• Belgrade Centre for Security Policy: Serbian think tank specializing in security sector governance, violent extremism, and EU-related policy research. Direct peer of IDM via joint Balkan Security Platform membership, with overlapping products including security assessments, integrity monitoring, and EU integration analysis.
• Transparency International Albania: National chapter of Transparency International focused on anti-corruption research, state capture analysis, and budget transparency. Direct peer of IDM with formal collaboration on joint publications and overlapping workstreams on corruption, integrity, and accountability.

Others

• National Democratic Institute: U.S.-based democracy support organization operating in Albania and across the Western Balkans. Adjacent peer of IDM: operates in the same country and governance space and frequently partners with or funds local civil society actors, but functions as an international implementer/donor rather than a domestic think tank.
• Westminster Foundation for Democracy: UK government-funded democracy support organization with programming across the Western Balkans. Adjacent peer of IDM: functions as both a donor and a programmatic partner on parliamentary support, political party development, and civic space, with occasional joint initiatives alongside Albanian civil society actors including IDM.
• Konrad Adenauer Foundation Albania: German political foundation with an Albania office supporting governance, rule of law, and EU integration programming. Adjacent peer of IDM: active in the same Albanian policy ecosystem as both a funder and a producer of policy events and publications, often co-financing or co-organizing initiatives with local think tanks like IDM.

Emerging players

• Centre for Civic Initiatives: Albanian civil society organization working on local governance, community development, and civic engagement. Emerging player peer of IDM: smaller and more locally focused, but overlapping with IDM's Local Governance & Integrated Development program area on decentralization and citizen participation at the municipal level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IDM_Albania
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IDMALBANIA
• Facebookfacebook.com/IDMAlbania
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/idm-albania
• Instagraminstagram.com/idm.albania

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Democracy and Mediation