Fondacija Buducnosti U Bosni I Hercegovini

What Fondacija Buducnosti U Bosni I Hercegovini does

The Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation (BHFF) is a non-profit foundation founded in 2015 by Dr. Edhem Ćustović and headquartered in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. BHFF operates a youth empowerment platform focused on education, technology, and leadership development for students, young professionals, and the Bosnian-Herzegovinian diaspora. Its core programs include the Futures Professionals Academy, Ignite Talent Akademija, the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, the Vera Šnajder Award for female STEM scholars, the annual Futures Leaders Summit, Innovation Nation, a Mobile Makerspace, structured mentorship, tutoring, IT/technical workshops, and a Virtual School of Research Communication. The foundation is governed by a Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team; in 2025 it appointed a new Executive Director and renewed its Board, marking a generational leadership transition coinciding with the foundation's 10-year anniversary.

BHFF does not develop proprietary technology products itself; rather, it functions as a non-formal education and talent development platform that distributes services through in-person academies (Tuzla, Banja Luka), flagship summits, international diaspora meetups, and partner-driven programming. Its underlying delivery architecture combines event-based programming, a global mentorship network, and corporate partnership channels (HTEC Group, UniCredit Bank, dmBiH, SAAS Solutions, Bosnalijek, ProCredit Bank, Infobip, BH Telecom, EY, Energoinvest, Mad Head Games, IEEE, BHAAAS, FabLab BiH, STAR.study, and various Bosnian embassies). Programs are delivered free of charge to participants; the foundation is funded through corporate sponsorships, individual/organizational donations, and diaspora contributions. The foundation is not an investable company in the traditional sense — it is a non-profit with no equity, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed revenue.

The foundation serves four primary constituencies: (1) high school and university students in BiH via Junior and Senior Scholar programs; (2) young professionals seeking mentorship and career development; (3) the Bosnian-Herzegovinian diaspora across North America, Western Europe, and Australia; and (4) corporate partners seeking talent pipeline, CSR visibility, and youth engagement. Notable scale indicators as of 2025 include 730 participants at the Futures Leaders Summit, the 200th BH Professionals meetup in New York City, 38 new Junior Scholars in the 2025 Incubation Program, and a stated goal of 10,000 change makers by 2030.

Name

Fondacija Buducnosti U Bosni I Hercegovini

Legal name

Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation

Website

https://bhfuturesfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation is a Sarajevo-based non-profit, founded in 2015 by Dr. Edhem Ćustović, that empowers BiH youth through free education, technology, and leadership programs, serving students, young professionals, and the global Bosnian diaspora.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Educational Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAH

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYEDAIAOAH

Foundation/NGO & Philanthropic Scholarships

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Scholarships, Funding & Financial Aid for International Study

SECONDARYEDAMALAO

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Summer & Holiday Enrichment Camps (Multi-Activity, Academic)

SECONDARYEDAIAJAH

STEM/Business/Discipline-Specific Foundation Pathways

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Overseas Pathway, Foundation & Bridging Programs

Keywords

• Youth empowerment programs
• STEM scholarships
• Nonprofit education foundation
• Leadership development
• Mentorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Tuzla

HQ country

Bosnia & Herzegovina

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships: BHFF receives support from corporate sponsors including UniCredit Bank (sponsor of 3MT competition), HTEC Group (joint scholarship program), dmBiH (Vera Šnajder Award sponsor), SAAS Solutions (meetup sponsor), and numerous other companies listed as partners. These partnerships provide funding, scholarships, and in-kind support for programs.
2. Donations: The foundation accepts donations from individuals and organizations through its 'Become a donor' program page, supporting the mission of empowering youth through education and technology.
3. Diaspora Contributions: The foundation leverages its global diaspora network of Bosnian and Herzegovinian professionals for financial and strategic support, hosting meetups internationally (New York, London, Vienna, Chicago, etc.) that often include sponsorship and fundraising elements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation (BHFF) is a nonprofit foundation that empowers youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina through non-formal education, technology access, and leadership development. It runs a portfolio of programs including the Futures Professionals Academy, Ignite Talent Academy, 3 Minute Thesis Competition, Vera Šnajder Award, Futures Leaders Summit, Mobile Makerspace, mentorship program, IT/technical workshops, and tutoring. Programs are delivered free of charge to scholars and supported by donations and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

The Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation (BHFF) operates as a youth empowerment organization offering a comprehensive ecosystem of programs rather than a traditional product company. The core offerings include: the Futures Professionals Academy and Ignite Talent Akademija for professional development; the 3 Minute Thesis Competition and Vera Šnajder Award for research excellence; the Futures Leaders Summit and Innovation Nation for leadership and entrepreneurship; and the Mobile Makerspace for hands-on STEM education. Supporting infrastructure includes a Mentorship Program connecting scholars with global professionals, IT/Technical Workshops, Tutoring Program, Virtual School of Research Communication, and the BHFF Kuća initiative to create a dedicated physical community space. These interconnected programs work together to empower youth through education, technology, and leadership development, with the goal of building a community of 10,000 change makers by 2030.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Futures Leaders Summit (FLS): Annual flagship summit bringing together youth, academia, industry, and government
• Ignite Talent Academy
• Futures Professionals Academy
• Mobile Makerspace
• 3 Minute Thesis Competition
• Vera Šnajder Award

Products and services

• Futures Professionals Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• Scholars and alumni winning international competitions including 1st place at BIP EUC Startup Competition, 3rd place at CTF Hackathon, Best Student Paper Award at CESCG Conference
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HTEC GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2025HTEC Group provides joint scholarships for BHFF Senior Scholars. The partnership includes company visits for FLS participants and collaborative engagement with HTEC for career development opportunities.
• SAAS SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 August 2025SAAS Solutions sponsored the BH Professionals Meetup in Sarajevo, supporting community networking events during the Sarajevo Film Festival.
• dmBiH (dm drogerie markt Bosnia and Herzegovina)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2025dmBiH supports the Vera Šnajder Award for exceptional female students in STEM. The partnership promotes gender equality and female entrepreneurship, with dm enabling young women to attend international conferences like AIME 2025.
• UniCredit BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2025UniCredit Bank is the title sponsor of the 3 Minute Thesis competition, providing a prize fund of 12,800 BAM. The partnership supports young researchers in showcasing their knowledge and communication skills.
• BHAAAS (Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHAAAS collaborates on scientific events including Days of BHAAAS conferences, Medical Student Symposium, and the BHAAAS Summer Internship Program. BHFF scholars regularly present research and participate in BHAAAS activities.
• FabLab Bosnia and HerzegovinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFabLab supports the Futures Leaders Summit and maker-related activities, contributing to the innovation and technology focus of BHFF programs.
• STAR.studyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSTAR.study organizes STARfest Sarajevo, the largest career development and youth employment festival in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where BHFF participates to connect with young people.
• Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in OttawaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe embassy hosted the BH Professionals meetup in Ottawa, facilitating diaspora networking in Canada.
• Bosnian American Professionals Association (BAPA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBAPA partnered with BHFF to support the Nashville professional gathering, representing Bosnian American professionals in the event organization.
• ProCredit BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProCredit Bank experts collaborated with BHFF on financial literacy sessions, delivering practical insights on financial topics for youth programs.
• EnergoinvestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBHFF scholars visited Energoinvest for real-world industry experience, exploring technological systems, security infrastructure, and professional career pathways.
• Mad Head GamesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBHFF alumni and scholars visited Mad Head Games to explore AAA game development and engage with industry professionals.
• IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBHFF alumni present research at IEEE conferences including SpliTech Conference. The IEEE logo appears among official partners.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Generation You Employed: Global nonprofit running tuition-free, employer-aligned training programs for underserved youth, with strong employer partnerships. Directly comparable to BHFF's workforce-development and STEM-talent-pipeline work, including partnerships with employers like HTEC and Energoinvest.
• Mastercard Foundation: Large foundation funding scholarships, leadership development, and youth employment programs across Africa and other emerging regions. Highly comparable in mission (youth empowerment through education) and structure (foundation-grants + program delivery), but operates at vastly larger scale and budget.
• Tony Elumelu Foundation: Africa-focused foundation funding entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and seed capital for young African entrepreneurs. Highly comparable in structure: foundation funding scholarships/academies/mentorship plus entrepreneurship programming and a long-term goal of identifying thousands of African 'changemakers'.
• INJAZ Bosnia and Herzegovina: BiH member of Junior Achievement Worldwide, delivering entrepreneurship, work-readiness, and financial literacy programs to BiH youth in schools and universities. Closest local peer in mission (youth empowerment, career readiness, BiH geography) and partly overlapping program offerings.
• Ashoka: Global network identifying and supporting young changemakers through fellowships, mentorship, and community building. Closely comparable to BHFF's changemaker-development mission and scholar-style selection model, though Ashoka operates at much larger global scale.
• Per Scholas: US nonprofit providing tuition-free tech training and career advancement for underserved adults, with employer-funded model. Comparable to BHFF's IT workshops, Mobile Makerspace, and corporate talent-pipeline partnerships around tech skills.
• Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences (BHAAAS): Bosnian-American diaspora academic organization running conferences, internships, and scholar programs. Highly comparable diaspora-engagement model and BiH-focused mission; in fact a core strategic partner of BHFF, which makes it a near-direct overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Schwarzman Scholars: Highly selective fully-funded master's program in global affairs at Tsinghua University with strong leadership-development and international network components. Comparable to BHFF's flagship scholarship/leadership programs but operates at a single-institution, master-degree scale rather than a multi-program national foundation.
• Institute of International Education (IIE): Long-established US nonprofit administering flagship international scholarship and exchange programs (Fulbright, Gilman). Comparable institutional mission of administering scholarships and international study support, though IIE operates at far greater scale and breadth.

Emerging players

• Wiki Education Foundation: Nonprofit supporting Wikipedia-related education, research, and student training. Comparably small foundation with a university/student program focus, though its mission is knowledge dissemination rather than STEM changemaker development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BHFuturesFound
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bhfuturesfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/bhfuturesfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bhfuturesfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/bhfuturesfoundation

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 Fondacija Buducnosti U Bosni I Hercegovini