Entrepreneurship in Serbia has been growing steadily over the past five years, yet out of nearly 370,000 registered entrepreneurs, only about two-thirds are actively operating, employing more than 260,000 people, NALED announced today as Serbia marks the start of Global Entrepreneurship Week. The most common sectors are professional, scientific and innovative services, trade and manufacturing. Belgrade has the highest concentration of entrepreneurs, while the fewest are registered in southern and eastern Serbia.
NALED recalled that it established the Small Business Council this year, which will focus on key issues affecting entrepreneurs. The Council has identified three priority areas—women’s entrepreneurship, innovative entrepreneurship and traditional entrepreneurship—and selected 10 of the 100 identified obstacles to address first.
Irena Đorđević Šušić, Head of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit at NALED, said that according to the European Commission’s 2025 report on Serbia, the country remains moderately prepared in the field of entrepreneurship and industrial policy. Progress is limited, and Serbia needs a more predictable business environment, greater legal transparency, a new industrial strategy action plan and stronger financial and technical support for small businesses.
“The Council’s priorities align with these recommendations and include advisory visits by inspections during business start-up, merging tax and contribution payments into a single account, the reintroduction of tax credits and adoption of a law to encourage entrepreneurship,” Đorđević Šušić stated.
She highlighted that NALED has declared this year the Year of Equality, placing special emphasis on women’s entrepreneurship. A recent survey showed that women make up only 29 percent of owners or directors of small businesses in Serbia. Key concerns include equitable treatment related to maternity leave, childcare leave and the need for phased support for self-employed women through training and greater subsidies. She also underscored the importance of social entrepreneurship, which frequently involves women.
Globally, more than 10 million social enterprises employ around 200 million people. In Europe, 2.8 million such enterprises employ 13.6 million people. In Serbia, however, the sector remains underdeveloped, with an estimated 200–500 social enterprises, many of which have not formally registered due to the lack of support programs. The absence of systemic incentives slows the development of a sector that could help address major social challenges and create new employment opportunities.
NALED also noted that innovative entrepreneurship in Serbia faces similar obstacles, with financing being one of the biggest challenges. Many startups rely on grants and donations, and nearly half lack recurring monthly revenue. Additional hurdles include importing and exporting innovative products, customer acquisition and hiring staff with the right skills, particularly in sales.
To address these issues, NALED has been implementing the StarTech project for five years, supported by Philip Morris, providing financial and mentoring assistance to innovators while improving the regulatory framework and strengthening the innovation ecosystem.
Small businesses are also eligible for benefits under the POS program, part of the “Better Way” initiative, which enables entrepreneurs to introduce electronic payments free of charge—modernizing their operations, attracting new customers and reducing costs. Applications for the program are open until 5 December via the portal tvojbiznis.boljinacin.rs, NALED said.
