Developing software, work culture and the community

Among the companies whose project proposals were approved within this call for proposals, there was also the company Badin Soft engaged in developing software intended for companies from different business sectors including finance, infrastructure, the automotive industry, consulting and design.

In a mere two years of its existence, Badin Soft has conquered the market by acquiring ten big clients in the country, as well as on the continents of Europe, America, Asia and Australia.

The company was founded in late 2016 by Dušan Cvetković and Božidar Ignjatović, two young, dedicated experts with a clear vision for their business. Today, the company has more than 60 employees, while Dušan received the award for the best young entrepreneur in this field at the recently held Advanced Technology Forum.

They include among their most recent successes the cooperation with the EU-funded Development Programme EU PRO, through which Badin Soft was granted support in the amount of 20,000 euros for the purchase of a server for processing and storing data and the introduction of ISO standards for their protection and safety.

"The European Union grant is very important to us because it will contribute to the development and progress of our company and will help us achieve our strategic goal - to develop our own product. Also, Badin will improve the segment of infrastructure and introduce relevant standards and licenses. In this manner, we will position ourselves even better on the market as a serious company that recognizes the needs of clients and guarantees safety in every segment of the business" says Aleksandra Vidojković, Portfolio Manager of the company.

As a mandatory corporate social responsibility component of the project, this company has equipped a maths lab in the Lebane-based Primary School „Radovan Kovačević – Maksim“, a 133-year old institution, which today has 560 pupils and 92 teachers. Despite the fact that many results achieved by its pupils at municipal and republic competitions confirm that the school can mention with pride its outstanding teaching staff, the old and damaged school furniture and equipment are always a problem.

Through its engagement, Badin Soft has ensured that twenty-five worn out school desks are replaced by newer desks, and the lab has also been given a lap top which will provide the primary school pupils of this school with the opportunity to master the learning content through modern and interactive teaching.

"We are especially grateful to Badin Soft for the donation that will mean a lot to us for a better and successful implementation of the curriculum,˝ said Nebojša Đorđević, the Principal of this school.

Also, on the occasion of International "Girls in ICT Day", Badin Soft was a host to female pupils of the Primary School "Čegar" from Niš, who talked with the girls from this company about the topic of women in the IT world, which is generally dominated by men. This campaign launched by the Association of Business Women of Serbia is aimed at empowering girls when choosing their future professions, so that they do not conform to stereotypes, but rather be guided by their own personal interests and talents.

Badin Soft organised similar corporate social responsibility activities in the past as well, but this was the first time that it implemented a campaign within a project supported by the European Union through the EU PRO Development Programme. Namely, the EU has allocated 2.1 million euros for the purchase of new equipment for 106 companies from the southeast and southwest of Serbia in order to boost the competitiveness of the local economy. The companies which have been granted the funds, including Badin Soft, Niš, will implement corporate social responsibility activities and lend support to their communities by providing equipment for kindergartens, schools, community health centres or helping vulnerable groups.

The EU support greatly contributes to the development of strategic goals by the companies and the promotion of their business operations. The establishment of a favourable environment opens up opportunities for new jobs and the overall development of the community. For the three-year EU PRO Programme, which began in January 2018, the European Union has allocated a total of 25 million euros, out of which 4.5 million is earmarked for the promotion of entrepreneurship.