Annual Regional Conference of the Regional Challenge Fund

Event summary:
The Regional Challenge Fund (RCF) is a financing facility designed to increase youth employability and boosts the
competitiveness of enterprises in Western Balkan 6 by funding investments in equipment and infrastructure for
selected cooperative or dual training projects implemented through partnerships between vocational training
institutes and the enterprises. The grants are allocated through a competitive regional challenge.
The first and the second round of applications attracted more than 300 Expressions of Interest from all Western
Balkan 6 economies. The selection process led to selecting 63 projects for financing, allocating approximately 27
million Euros for the investments in equipment, infrastructure, and training at the vocational training providers
and partnering enterprises.
RCF is organizing the Annual Regional Conference to promote its third call, share the experiences and lessons
learned from its previous calls, and foster the exchange among stakeholders in vocational education and training
from the region. The Conference will promote good practices that address the common challenges faced around
the region, in light of new trends.
With the mission to strengthen the cooperative training approach, RCF also promotes greening, digit(al)ization,
and regional cooperation in VET. In addition, consultations within the RCF Technical Advisory Committee
recognized the importance of career development support and capacity building of teachers and mentors.
The virtual Conference will gather RCF winners, vocational training providers, enterprises, chambers of commerce,
employers` unions, representatives of SMEs, donors, international and regional organizations, civil society
organizations, teachers` unions, etc.