29 Sep Success Flower Award Recognized as a Good Practice on the Interreg Europe Platform
29.09.2026
Association of Business Women in Serbia’s long-standing initiative has been recognized as a good practice within the European WOMEX project, which focuses on strengthening the role of women in the competitiveness of export-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises.
The Success Flower, an initiative organized by the Association of Business Women in Serbia since 2007, has been recognized and featured on the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform as a good practice in the areas of support for women entrepreneurs, women’s entrepreneurship and business internationalization.
This recognition represents an important acknowledgement of the Association of Business Women in Serbia’s long-standing work to promote and empower women in the economy. Over almost two decades, the Success Flower has grown into one of the most prominent national awards recognizing women in entrepreneurship. During this period, more than 500 women entrepreneurs have been promoted through the awards and related promotional activities, while 188 women have received awards.
Through a public call and independent expert evaluation, women entrepreneurs are recognized in the categories of Export-Oriented Company, Successful Business Model, as well as through various special awards for outstanding contributions in areas such as innovation, the circular economy, digital transformation, entrepreneurship in less developed regions and social responsibility.
A particularly important category is Export-Oriented Company, which recognizes women whose companies have achieved significant results in international markets. In this way, the Success Flower does not only celebrate individual business achievements, but also contributes to increasing the visibility of women as leaders, business owners and drivers of companies expanding into international markets.
Success Flower and WOMEX – Supporting Women Entering International Markets
The recognition of the Success Flower as a good practice is particularly significant in the context of the WOMEX – The role of women in the competitiveness of exporting SMEs project, implemented by the Association of Business Women in Serbia within the Interreg Europe programme.
WOMEX is a European project running from May 2025 to July 2029 and bringing together nine partners from six countries. The project focuses on improving the competitiveness of export-oriented SMEs and creating better conditions for women’s equal participation in international trade and business internationalization.
In this context, the Success Flower represents an example of an established practice that contributes to strengthening the position of women in the economy through public recognition, promotion and increased visibility. It is particularly significant that the Export-Oriented Company category is an integral part of the initiative, providing women who successfully operate in international markets with an opportunity to be recognized as role models in business.
According to the assessment of experts from the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform, the Success Flower model is transferable and can be adapted by other regions and institutions seeking to increase the visibility of women in exports and international trade. Key elements of the practice include a transparent selection process, expert evaluation, strong partnership support, public recognition and media promotion, as well as a dedicated category focused on exports.
In this way, the experience of the Association of Business Women in Serbia, developed over almost two decades through the Success Flower, has become part of a European exchange of knowledge and experience on how women can be further supported to become more visible and competitive in international markets.
From a National Award to a European Good Practice
The Success Flower demonstrates how a long-term initiative can evolve alongside the changing needs of women in the economy. From its initial focus on recognizing successful women entrepreneurs, the initiative has expanded over the years to highlight and promote women’s achievements in areas ranging from exports and innovation to digital transformation, sustainable development and social responsibility.
The initiative has also been strengthened by additional awards presented as part of the Success Flower, including the Gender-Sensitive Company Award, established in 2018, as well as the WIPO IP Enterprise Award, implemented by the Association of Business Women in Serbia in cooperation with the Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia and under the auspices of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
This year’s jubilee 20th Success Flower Award ceremony will take place on 19 November 2026 at the Madlenianum Opera and Theatre, when this year’s award recipients will be announced.
The recognition of the Success Flower on the Interreg Europe platform represents an important step in further promoting the experience of the Association of Business Women in Serbia and confirms that initiatives that continuously increase the visibility of women in the economy can also have significance beyond national borders.
The Success Flower therefore continues to connect recognition, promotion and empowerment of women in business – from success in the domestic market to business opportunities on the international stage.
WOMEX: The role of women in the competitiveness of exporting SMEs is a European project co-funded by the Interreg Europe programme, supported by the European Union. More information about the WOMEX project and the Interreg Europe programme is available HERE.