Automating the notification of legal entities on EU contests and funds is the winning solution of the first #EUzaTEBE hackathon organized by the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia and the ICT Hub, from 17th to 19th of May.

Nine teams had 48 hours to offer a solution for citizens to be informed in a timely manner about the various opportunities and support that the European Union provides through its programs aimed at citizens of Serbia.

The five-member jury had the task of selecting the best solution as a whole, as well as winners of special rewards for effectiveness and creativity. During the evaluation, the sustainability and the feasibility of implementation were particularly considered.

The winning team consisted of Ognjen Radovic, Dusan Cvetkovic, Livia Jovanovic, Milos Radman, Nikola Nedeljkovic and Nikola Milenkovic. They come from the IT and gaming industries and have the experience of participation in the hackathons.

They proposed a solution that, in the opinion of the jury, best suits the challenges of informing the public about EU funds, and at the same time combines creativity and effectiveness in solving the problem. The platform of this team, in accordance with publicly accessible data of legal entities, automatically detects which funds they can apply and directly informs them about this.

“In this way, legal entities that may not have even known that certain funds exist will directly receive information about the funds available to their email addresses. Upon receipt of the notice, they will be able to easily access the method of application, the specific conditions, and the tender process. This platform will also speed up the registration process for PADOR (an online system for identifying organizations that apply for projects)”, said the winning team, which is rewarded with 2500 euros.

According to the jury, the team of “Mauricius 42”, who was rewarded with 1500 euros, pointed out in terms of effectiveness. Through successful stories, they would motivate potential users of EU funds to access their platform. There, it would be easier for the interested parties to search for adequate funds for them, in a personalized way, in relation to who they are, what they are dealing with, which industry they belong to.

One of the members of the jury, Paul-Henri Presset of the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, explained the decision by pointing out that the proposal of the platform of this team is effectively combating the substance of the problem, and that it has multiple benefits for fund users.

The most creative solution was offered by the “Sweet House” team, which won the 1000 Euro prize. Their idea is that through a market place site, small and medium-sized companies with consultants join in to get support in fund applications.

The jury comprised Kosta Andric (ICT Hub), Boris Jovanovic (marketing agency Webtise), Srecko Sekelic (Societe General Bank), Aleksandra Beric (EU Info Center) and Paul-Henri Presset (Delegation of the European Union to Serbia).

The winning team, Tim 8, will receive 10 000 Euros of financial support and an additional 15 000 Euros for direct application and promotion of the proposed solution in the next 4 months. #EUzaTEBE hackathon attracted a total of 43 participants, who worked mentor support from experts in the field of communication, functioning of the European Union and IT industry.