PRO4CE Archives - Slovak Challenge Fund

Slovak Challenge Fund pioneered solutions for global challenges also in 2024

undp.admin — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 19:39:49 +0000

In 2024, the Slovak Challenge Fund continued to showcase Slovakia’s potential to drive global innovations. Seven innovative projects were successfully implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and Serbia.

The Slovak Challenge Fund (SCF), financed by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic and implemented by the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub, had an impactful year in 2024. Within SCF were implemented three projects in Serbia, two in Moldova and two in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with total funding USD 267,556.50. An additional USD 133,598 was mobilized through private sector co-financing.

These innovative and sustainable solutions addressed global challenges such as pollution, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, energy efficiency, and cultural accessibility. The projects not only contributed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but also demonstrated the power of small-scale innovations to make a big impact.

Driving Change Through Innovation

The Slovak Challenge Fund’s initiatives exemplify how targeted financial support can drive transformative change. The seven SCF projects brought the following results:

Digitizing Museum Experiences in Sarajevo: Operation and information system of the Museum of Genocide in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina was enhanced through a new QR digital platform. Thanks to the deployment of a new multilingual system, the museum’s content is now manageable and accessible digitally to a wider audience.

Bee Breeding Box for Biodiversity Protection: The innovative hyperthermic solution for destroying the Varroa destructor parasite was successfully tested in an innovative beehive prototype placed in an apiary in Serbia.

A Renewable Energy Solution through Virtual Power Plants: An assessment was conducted on the potential for using virtual power plants (aggregating small green energy producers) in Serbia. Following legislative amendments, this technology will enable more efficient connections between producers and consumers in the market for support services, contributing to the stabilization of the electricity transmission system.

Tackling Drought with Portable Wastewater Treatment: Small mobile wastewater treatment plant was successfully tested. The use of microfilters enables the reuse of contaminated water with minimum energy consumption for agricultural irrigation. The measurable improvement achieved by the unit lies in its ability to combine high pollutant removal efficiency with cost-effectiveness and operational flexibility.

Microalgae for Heavy Metals Pollution: The possibility of using algae for decontamination of heavy metals soil was tested in Zenica region, Bosna and Hercegovina. Laboratory tests have demonstrated the ability of algae to bind heavy metals from the soil.

Integrated Solar Roofing System in Moldova: An innovative solar roofing system was installed and tested at the Goat Town tourist complex near Chisinau, Moldova. The system combines photovoltaic modules with solar roofing material, creating an energy-efficient and aesthetically pleasing roof. The project demonstrates a low-carbon, cost-effective solution to reduce emissions, increase energy independence, and support sustainable tourism.

Digital Development of Organic Agrotourism: Digital platforms for sales and promotion were created to supported rural tourism and organic farming in Northern Moldova. Ten Moldovan farmers and tourism service providers were trained in digitization, while an interactive digital map and a regional cookbook of local specialties were developed to boost tourism and promote local products.

Designed to transfer Slovak solutions to new markets or test them in diverse environments, SCF supports Slovak innovators to collaborate with local partners in the implementing countries. These projects serve as a testament to the potential of collaborative efforts in building a better, more resilient future.

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Increased digital presence as an impulse to rural tourism in Moldova

undp.admin — Mon, 06 May 2024 16:40:54 +0000

Ten Moldovan tourism service providers and farmers have increased their digital presence. An online cookbook and an interactive map further promote the region of North Moldova.

Agro-tourism and local gastronomy in Northern Moldova are more visible and accessible to the public thanks to a Slovak-funded project. Launched in April 2023, a Slovak company PRO4CE, in cooperation with the Moldovan local partner North Regional Development Agency (ADR Nord) embarked on a journey to equip regional businesses with the necessary digital skills to thrive in today’s market landscape on various digital platforms.

“Bringing high-quality local organic products to the clients will be used as a tool for the development of the tourism sector in the given region. This approach supports the regional producers. It is ecological, and supports local economy and regional, sustainable development,” said Erik Heidema from Pro4CE at the beginning of the project. A year-long efforts towards digitalization and market accessibility have borne fruit.

Project results

Several stakeholders now boast an enhanced digital presence. Ten Moldovan tourism service providers and farmers have been trained to work with digital platforms, create packages based on market segments, and improve visuals. In this way, they amplify their market reach. Some of them were also added to the moldova.travel website.

In addition to supporting the creation or improvement of social media communication channels for the mentioned ten partners, the project also created:

To promote regional rural tourism in northern Moldova, a digital interactive map was created, which shows local food producers, service providers and accommodation in agritourism, tourist routes, etc. It will also be displayed on the North Regional Development Agency’s website.
A digital Cookbook with regional specialties, which was distributed to tourism service providers as a communication tool. The book is intended for domestic as well as foreign tourists, that’s why they were in two language versions, English and Romanian.

Despite the fact that the project was implemented only in North Macedonia, it can be easily replicated and expanded to other Moldovan regions, thanks to the fact that NRDA members were trained in the use of digital tools and platforms for marketing and sales purposes. A network of partner tourism organizations was also built for future cooperation to support rural tourism in northern Moldova.

About the support

Slovak Challenge Fund searches for solutions of Slovak companies to address specific development goals. It is financed by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic and implemented by UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub. Pro4CE receive financial support for the project “Digital development of organic agro-tourism in North Moldova” in the amount of USD 37,150.

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A Slovak-funded project will help promote agro-tourism in Moldova digitally

undp.admin — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 14:19:28 +0000

Slovak company Pro4CE has succeeded in Slovak Challenge Fund and will support regional food producers in Moldova.

Pro4CE will implement a project focused on online marketing of the agro-tourism business. Using experience in supporting the development of tourism and rural areas in Slovakia, it will boost local organic food business in Northern Moldova by opening online market access to local producers. Through tailor-made digital tools and platforms like an online cookbook or an interactive map the regional producers will enhance (scale-up) their offers of gastronomic and rural adventure.

“The delicious organic food treasures of northern Moldova are ready to be discovered. This project aims to contribute to facilitating their market penetration through digital tools. Bringing high-quality local organic products to the clients will be used as a tool for the development of the tourism sector in the given region. This approach supports the regional producers. It is ecological, and supports local economy and regional, sustainable development” says Erik Heidema from Pro4CE.

Cooperation with local agency

Pro4CE will engage the North Regional Development Agency as a local partner to assist with the project implementation. The agency is a key regional player in coordinating and supporting regional and local communities for sustainable development in Northern Moldova. The project will support, train and guide selected participants through the whole process from content development up to digital presentation of their offers. Once the digital tools are developed and tested, it will be made available for other users and regions.

About Slovak Challenge Fund

Pro4CE will receive financial support from the Slovak Challenge Fund as a successful applicant in the third call for proposals. SCF searches for solutions of Slovak companies to address the specific development goals. It is financed by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic (MFEA SR) and implemented by UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub.

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