At the Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK), students were introduced to the Digital Chamber, the HGK online platform that enables entrepreneurs to handle administrative tasks, access information, and connect with others in one place, without the need to visit a service counter in person. Students asked numerous questions, especially about how they, as potential young entrepreneurs, could seek support in turning their ideas into reality, with particular emphasis on the establishment of social enterprises.

During the visit to the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ), students received detailed information about all the support measures that HZZ offers to entrepreneurs, especially start-ups. They were particularly interested in learning which activities are eligible for support and in what amounts, so that they could assess whether their business ideas fit within the existing possibilities for financial assistance. At the City of Pula-Pola, they learned more about municipal measures for entrepreneurship development, ranging from direct financial support to interest-rate co-financing for business loans. The field visit concluded with a visit to the Istrian Development Agency (IDA) and the Coworking Center, where students were introduced to all the services that IDA offers to start-up entrepreneurs.

Based on what they had learned, the students concluded that Pula truly is a Start-up Friendly City, although there is always room for improvement. They recommended that HGK services for start-ups should be free of charge, not only in the form of initial information, but also through more detailed advisory services and networking with potential partners for the implementation of innovative projects. For HZZ, they proposed increasing the amount of support in view of the high costs of purchasing equipment for innovative start-ups, as well as ensuring that, in the application scoring process, first-time entrepreneurs from Istria County are not disadvantaged (with the exception of the Municipality of Lanišće) due to the county’s high level of development. With regard to the support measures of the City of Pula-Pola, the students suggested including additional activities that are currently not covered by the measures. They also recommended that IDA consider the possibility of renting out a larger number of office spaces, given the very favorable conditions it offers to start-up entrepreneurs.

As a shared recommendation to all institutions, they emphasized the need for stronger support measures aimed at social entrepreneurship, including the introduction of additional points and special forms of support for start-ups that address social challenges and community needs.