Support for women entrepreneurs in Republika Srpska: what exists and who can apply

On 7 October 2026, neither the Ministry of Economy and Entrepreneurship of Republika Srpska (Ministarstvo privrede i preduzetništva) nor the Chamber of Commerce of Republika Srpska has an open call reserved for women entrepreneurs. Under the Law on Republic Administration the Ministry is also responsible for supporting women's and social entrepreneurship, but its 2026 public-call page has no call just for women. The only women-only programme in 2026 was run by the Chamber of Commerce, within a project financed by Switzerland. That call is closed.

In short

• The Ministry's 2026 public-call page has no call just for women. Its calls for investment, promotion and SME competitiveness were open to all businesses.
• The Chamber of Commerce of RS (Privredna komora Republike Srpske, PKRS) runs a Women's Entrepreneurship Support Programme: 30,000 KM per company, for services such as certification, digitalisation and intellectual property protection.
• The 2026 call was published on 8 July, with a deadline of Monday, 27 July 2026. It is closed.
• The programme is for companies, not farm households. The company must be a d.o.o. or a.d., registered in RS for at least three years, with at least 10 employees.

Who it applies to

The PKRS programme is for companies owned or co-owned by women, or managed by women. It runs within the project "Engage, inspire, empower - Women in business in Bosnia and Herzegovina". According to the 2026 criteria document, the project is financed by Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). General criteria for 2026:

• registered as a d.o.o. or a.d.
• registered in Republika Srpska at least three years before the call
• positive business results
• at least 10 employees
• has not used this programme before

Farms, sole traders and small rural-tourism households do not meet the condition of being a d.o.o. or a.d. with at least 10 employees. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede) has an incentive for the economic empowerment of women (Art. 44 of the Rulebook on conditions and procedure for cash incentives for the development of agriculture and rural areas), but it is narrower: 10,000 KM goes only to women living in a rural area who are registered with the Employment Institute of Republika Srpska and are entered in the Register of Agricultural Holdings as holder of a non-commercial family farm. Registered sole traders and holders of commercial farms do not qualify. Requests were due by 30 April 2026, so this year's deadline has passed.

What to do

1. Follow the Women's Entrepreneurship page on the PKRS website. In 2026 the call was published on 8 July and stayed open for only 19 days, so it is easy to miss.
2. Applications are sent by e-mail (in 2026 to jelenat@komorars.ba). You need the application form with a description of the project, the expected improvements and a financial plan, plus a statement that the company has positive business results, which is part of the form. PKRS may check the company's financial data.
3. Applications are scored. Manufacturers get 3 to 5 points depending on how far the product is processed, service companies a fixed 3 points. More points go to projects whose total value is higher than the support amount and to projects with stronger expected results (certification, digitalisation, intellectual property protection, a new market). Companies with majority domestic capital and companies that pay the PKRS membership fee regularly get preference.
4. Support covers services in digital transformation, green transition and circular economy, standards and certification, and legal services and intellectual property. Projects supported in 2026 must be completed by 1 December. Applicants were told the result within 7 working days after the deadline.
5. When the project is finished, the company sends PKRS the financial offer, the invoice and proof of payment, and a report on implementation. The call does not say whether PKRS pays the service provider or refunds the company, so ask PKRS before you apply.
6. If this programme does not fit you, ask the Employment Institute of Republika Srpska (Zavod za zapošljavanje Republike Srpske) and the Trebinje Regional Chamber of Commerce about self-employment support and other programmes for women entrepreneurs. Check amounts and conditions directly with them.

Deadlines and amounts

• PKRS programme: 30,000 KM per company. The 2024 call was published on 29 October with a deadline of 8 November, the 2025 call on 18 February with a deadline of 28 February, and the 2026 call on 8 July with a deadline of 27 July. The timing changes from year to year. The call was open for 10 days in 2024 and 2025 and for 19 days in 2026, so it is easy to miss and the page should be checked regularly.
• The Academy for Developing Leadership Skills of Women in Business (PKRS) took place in June 2026 and is finished.
• The Ministry's 2026 call for improving SME competitiveness was published on 11 March, had a deadline of 1 April and is closed. Under the Government decision approving the Plan for the use of funds (Službeni glasnik RS no. 16/26), 2,500,000 KM was set aside for these incentives. Under the Decree on the procedure for awarding these incentives (Službeni glasnik RS no. 107/25, Art. 39), co-financing is up to 70 percent in developed and medium-developed municipalities and up to 80 percent in underdeveloped and severely underdeveloped ones. The Ministry published the list of applicants entitled to a reservation of funds on 29 June 2026, and the investments must be completed by 31 October 2026. The call was not specifically for women.

Where to go

• Trebinje Regional Chamber of Commerce (Područna privredna komora Trebinje), Svetosavska 22, Trebinje, tel. 059/260-040, info@tb.komorars.ba. It covers the city of Trebinje and the municipalities of Bileća, Gacko, Ljubinje, Nevesinje, Berkovići, Foča, Kalinovik and Istočni Mostar.
• Chamber of Commerce of Republika Srpska, Branka Ćopića 6, Banja Luka, switchboard 051/493-120. For the women's entrepreneurship programme: Jelena Rodić, 051/493-123, jelenat@komorars.ba.
• Ministry of Economy and Entrepreneurship, Trg Republike Srpske 1, Banja Luka, tel. 051/338-642, mpp@mpp.vladars.rs, public calls page.

Laws and sources

• Call for expressions of interest, Women's Entrepreneurship Support Programme 2026 (PKRS, 8 July 2026)
• Criteria and scoring for the Women's Entrepreneurship Support Programme 2026 (PKRS, no. 03-01-688/23)
• Call for the Women's Entrepreneurship Support Programme 2025 (PKRS, 18 February 2025)
• Call for the Women's Entrepreneurship Support Programme 2024 (PKRS, 29 October 2024)
• Zakon o republičkoj upravi, Law on Republic Administration (Službeni glasnik RS no. 115/18, 111/21, 15/22, 56/22, 132/22 and 90/23), Art. 30
• Public call for improving SME competitiveness in 2026 (Ministry of Economy and Entrepreneurship)
• Decision approving the Plan for the use of funds for SME competitiveness incentives (Službeni glasnik RS no. 16/26)
• Uredba o postupku dodjele podsticaja za poboljšanje konkurentnosti malih i srednjih preduzeća, Decree on the procedure for awarding SME competitiveness incentives (Službeni glasnik RS no. 107/25)
• Pravilnik o uslovima i načinu ostvarivanja novčanih podsticaja za razvoj poljoprivrede i sela, Rulebook on cash incentives for agriculture and rural development (Službeni glasnik RS no. 16/26, 27/26, 52/26, 65/26 and 80/26), Art. 44