Programs

PROJECTS

IPKO Foundation delivers self-sustaining, practical, holistic and long term solutions based on Technology and Innovation through a number of projects:

BarCamp

BarCamp have established themselves as a community that inspires connections and a distinctive way of thinking outside the box through various speakers whom we invite.

We’re a user-generated, creative informal event that provides a space for everyday humans to share their passions. Talks aren’t scheduled until just before the conference starts, and anyone can speak — though it’s just as rewarding to sit back and listen. There’s no bar (except for drinks at the opening party) and no camp (unless you bring your own tent). But there’s a whole lot to discover. IPKO Foundation has introduced this project back in 2011, and has since expanded the project’s reach by introducing it to new communities in different cities of Kosovo. Therefore, BarCamps are now present in Prishtina, Mitrovica, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Prizren, Gjakova, Peja and Drenas. Goal: The main purpose of BarCamps is to turn members of the community into active citizens, who take matters into their own hands for the greater good of the society. This goal is fulfilled by organizing editions of BarCamp with different themes, in which individuals with different backgrounds can share stories that inspire participants to innovate and introduce new ideas that may change their lives. These ideas are also a by-product of several BarCamp discussions that emerge during monthly editions. How do we get from A to B, and where do our creative worlds collide? BarCamp invites you to share your messy, extraordinary, perhaps unfinished creations — because we’re all a work in process.

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DOKU.TECH

Challenging and explaining the social implications of tech.

DOKU.TECH is designed to not only promote fellowship and create networking opportunities among like-minded peers, but also provide access to the newest ideas and concepts.The 2 day event focuses on digital innovation, internet freedom and data economies. The event occurs twice a year, once in Prishtina and the other is held in Prizren during the International Documentary and Short Film Festival held annually in August, DokuFest. DokuFest (Kosovo), Share Foundation (Serbia) and IPKO Foundation (Kosovo) have joined forces to work together on the design and the launch of DOKU.TECH- a platform for increased understanding of the role of technology in economic development and innovation in solving pressing societal challenges. DOKU.TECH is the first joint effort between Kosovar and Serbian organizers around this theme and builds upon events organized individually by the partnering organizations. Fortunately, coming from different backgrounds these three organizations have built a broad & diverse community in Kosovo, Serbia and Europe which will engage during and after the event. Furthermore, the conference consists of several workshops and DIY activities that teach participants some practical skills. Why not create your own DIY day? The activities, ranging from simple arts to 3D printer products, makers at DOKU.TECH, are free of charge and will increase your personal expression and creativity.

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Girls in ICT

Girls in ICT aims to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and young women to consider careers in the growing field of ICT.

The main goal of the initiative is to effectively contribute to the creation of a new technological culture among young women, also increasing the awareness among the public opinion regarding the urgency to direct girls into these fields of study and subsequent career. For these reasons, IPKO Foundation, A.U.K TDI and its partners every year mark the Girls in ICT International Day by organizing a conference on the RIT Kosovo’s campus. The conference is the first of its kind in Kosovo, and is an initiative which is starting a new paradigm in the ICT sector. Activities during the conference include: keynote speeches by known guest speakers focused on the latest developments in tech and the involvement of girls in ICT sector; a panel discussion with women involved in ICT sector not only in Kosovo but also abroad; a joint visit to a company; workshops; and a social event.

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Girl Child Day

Igniting the passion of young tech lovers who dream of someday building a career in IT.

The International Day of the Girl Child is celebrated annually on October 11 to highlight issues concerning the gender inequality that young girls still face. IPKO Foundation, in corporation with its partners Girls Coding Kosovo, BONEVET markerspace, Zombie Soup, Open Data Kosovo and others, organize “Girls and Technology” event in Prishtina. Mentors from these companies gather to tutor young girls from lower secondary schools of several municipalities of Kosovo in learning the usage of technology. The “Girls and Technology” event ignites the passion of young tech lovers to further explore the field of technology, while causing to building someday a career in IT. All activities are carefully designed to deliver a simplified version of the tasks and encourage the curiosity and passion for the participants to further explore the world of tech using the knowledge gained. The workshops range from many fields of technology, such as: Littlebits – creating electronic circuits, Arduino – programming electronic parts to carry out a certain function, 3D- modeling and printing, programming -through games using Code.org, HTML Based Web Designing etc. The practices of the day aim at highlighting the importance of technological investment in the power of child girls as fundamental to breaking the intergenerational transmission of poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination and to achieving equitable and sustainable development outcomes.

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Education for Employability

The main purpose of this project is to increase the employment opportunities of 240 high school students through extracurricular activities, as well as equip them with transferable skills required in today’s labor market as technology and foreign language skills.

Education for employability is a project financed by the Government of Great Duchy of Luxembourg and Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF), implemented by IPKO Foundation. Increasing employment opportunities, career awareness and developing the skills and knowledge of the enterprise by enabling self-employment, is the purpose of implementing Employment Education. The project will develop 12 communities with 20 participants. Students will be grouped based on topics they have given priority to.

This project will offer three workshops. The first workshop will be Technological Skills which includes 3 days of coding, 2 days hardware and three days robotic. The second workshop will be Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills which has 3 days of Ponder/ Wiki Academy. Communication and Leadership Skills will be the last workshop which includes 5 days of acting and improvisation classes. At the end of the program, the team will organize a labor fair and volunteering to showcase participants’ opportunities and provide networking opportunities.

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KosLift

KosLift, a 30 month investment, funded by the Norwegian Embassy and implemented by IPKO Foundation and its partner Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Kosovo, will support up to 1000 university students and 60 Kosovar businesses in the energy, ICTs and manufacturing sub-sectors with the necessary skills and capacities to increase their competitiveness in the business sector in Kosovo and the region.

The objective of KosLift is to increase the competitiveness of local businesses in Kosovo by increasing the quality and quantity of the products and services they offer.  

This objective will be accomplished in three ways:

  • Supporting Kosovar businesses to develop new products and services and increase the quality of existing products and services
  • Increase job readiness of Kosovar youth by providing them the knowledge, skills and abilities to work in competitive local businesses
  • Create an innovation pipeline that matches business, youth and academic institutions to improve research and development capacities

KosLift utilizes a cascade model where young people are recruited and trained in the essential components of research and development including project management and human centered design.Upon completion of online training, successful students will have the opportunity to be part of the rigorous workshops at the Research and Development Laboratory (R&D Lab) at RIT Kosovo and also part of the Design Challenge.

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Wiki Academy Kosovo

Improving the quality and quantity of online content on Kosovo to better represent our country to the world.

This was accomplished by recruiting and training youngsters to write articles and post pictures to Wikipedia. As a result, the content for Kosovo in the digital world is richer with more than 80 articles and 1,000s of photos.Over 200 participants were engaged while 50 were rewarded for their unmatched performance. In addition to improving the content, students also learned valuable digital skillsthey can apply to their school work and future jobs.Target of Wiki Academy are High School, Undergraduate and Graduate Students, Different Professionals.The goal of the Academy was to improve the quality and quantity of online content on Kosovo to better represent Kosovo to the world. The Academy brought together active online citizens and content experts and helped them develop into skilled editors to write high quality articles and source high quality photos regarding Kosovo in categories such as culture, heritage, social issues, geography, institutions, economy and tourism. Its focus is on the creation of online content for Kosovo by writing and publishing articles and photos in Wikipedia.com.In total 260 applicants expressed their willingness to participate, from them 65 were group applications while 24 individual applications.One hundred and twenty participants attended the Wiki Academy event and in two days 38 new articles were published in Wikipedia.com. For the photograph competition about 90 people uploaded their photos in Wikimedia.com which was enriched for 1,418 photos showing images of life in Kosovo. Eighteen speakers/mentors were engaged in order to help the team generate qualitative articles. After publishing, about 3000 editings of the articles have taken place. Partners of WikiAcademy are Ministry of Foreign Affairs, British Council and Royal Norwegian Embassy.

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Digital Kosovo

Kosovo, as a young country, is rapidly bridging the digital divide facing its citizens, institutions and businesses. Today, 76% of Kosovo households have a broadband Internet connection. Our youth are leading the rapid spread of the use of all forms of digital media.

Kosovo is recognized by over half of the members of the United Nations and is a member of both the IMF and World Bank. Internet properties from LinkedIn to Twitter are updating their platforms, menus and options to include Kosovo and making it possible for everyone to take full advantage of all the opportunities available via the Internet. Digital Kosovo helps you help us to integrate Kosovo into the digital landscape. This initiative helps overcome the virtual barriers which currently exist by encouraging a range of Internet properties from shopping websites to travel to add Kosovo to their sites. Using Digital Kosovo advances Kosovo’s digital presence across major websites around the world, so that citizen’s of Kosovo can take advantage of all the Internet has to offer in the same way as all global citizens. Digital Kosovo is a new initiative being delivered by IPKO Foundation, with the support of the Republic of Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs, British Council and the Norwegian Embassy.

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Design Challenge

Teaching practical engineering and robotic skills to young aspiring lovers of technology.

The Design Challenge is an annual project that gathers talented students and their technology teachers in one place to work together in practical engineering and robotic skills. This activity is a modern event, which serves as a workplace with all the necessary tools that allow students to demonstrate their skills in this field by building and designing interesting LEGO robots and using control box systems to bring them to life. The main goal of this project is to encourage all creative youngsters to create something special in the field of technology, and then present their work in front of a professional panel, who will evaluate the best design. Another objective of this project is to help the participants learn through logical challenges and engagement so they can develop their skills and interest in the professional level. The students will work in teams from different schools and will compete with each other. Two intensive days will be on the students’ disposition so that they can finish the challenges that they initiated months before. The challenges or themes are specified by IF, however students are free to use their imagination to find other easy and creative themes. Teachers will also act as their mentors in order to help them with the robots. Students are provided with all necessary conditions pertaining to a comfortable venue, all necessary tools, food and drinks, in order to keep them motivated and in a good mood. After finalizing the workshops and the project overall, an open fair or exhibition will be organized where all participants can introduce their work to other participants and guests.

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ASSET

USAID’s “After School Support for Teens” Program (ASSET) is a 5 year USAID program, with aim to develop employability and entrepreneurial skills in Youth and a positive attitude to their future.

The goal will be addressed through a combination of activities that provide teens with useful, practical content in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and other workforce readiness efforts, including building stronger linkages between the education sector and the private sector in the delivery of these activities. The ASSET program aligns with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) Curriculum Framework by supporting Competency 4: Life and Work Skills at the upper secondary level. It includes an explicit requirement for enabling students to master workforce readiness competencies.

The IPKO Foundation and ASSET share the objective of developing workforce-related skills in Kosovo youth, who can contribute positively to Kosovo’s economy. IF will assist ASSET to provide information and videos for the MEST’s career guidance portal, “Busulla”, organize design challenge competitions for schools; and facilitate collaboration with local organizations and schools.

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SPONSORSHIP

IPKO Foundation has a long history of supporting young people by providing them with the necessary tools to further develop both academically and professionally, as well as put ideas into practice.

The Foundation has supported organizations in the form of sponsorship for events and activities. IPKO Foundation supports events where young people can innovate, gain digital experience, create connections, share knowledge and work together to bring about change in their communities. In addition to providing scholarships, we also encourage the participation of IPKO scholars and staff in all the events we sponsor. For almost 15 years, we have supported numerous tech and cultural events including App Camp, Wiki Academy, Bar Camp and Bar Camp in Your City and DOKU.TECH. Over the next 15 years, we want to support individuals, events and organizations whose goals align with our mission. Our young population is in need of support for to attend events and undertake initiatives, such as: tech camps, IT related conferences, innovative tech events and cultural events, startup weekends and alike. Notice: The Sponsorship Program for 2019 is currently closed. We will not be able to receive applications for this year. Please subscribe to be informed for next phase.

Please refer to the sections on your left to learn more about these categories, as well as the application guidelines. Applications must abide by all eligibility requirements; otherwise, they will not be taken into consideration.

The sponsorship program includes only small grants and it is divided into three main categories of beneficiaries:

  • Support for Individuals with an amount of up to 2000 EUR.
  • Support for Organizations / Events / Activities with an amount of up to 2000 EUR.
  • Support for Scholarships with an amount of up to 1000 EUR.

Notice: The Sponsorship Program for 2019 is currently closed. We will not be able to receive applications for this year. Please subscribe to be informed for next phase.

Individuals and Organizations which meet the following criteria are eligible to apply for support from IPKO Foundation:

  • Organizations which are legally registered in Kosovo and whose primary activities are in Kosovo.
  • Individuals or groups of people who are Kosovo citizens, reside in Kosovo and whose main aim is to change Kosovo’s society for the better through their initiatives.

NOTE: The general eligibility applies to all three types of sponsorship. Additional eligibility criteria can be found under each respective section to your left.

IPKO Foundation offers support for individuals who seek to:

The above is only an illustrative list.  IPKO Foundation will consider other requests for support as long as they are linked to the mission of the foundation and meet the other eligibility criteria.

Each request for sponsorship will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Applications will be compared against each other to ensure gender balance, age and geographic diversity.
  • Applicants who are youngsters and who come from smaller municipalities, rural areas, or are part of marginalized communities are prioritized.
  • The contribution that the applicant can make back to Kosovo by providing trainings to colleagues, the wider public, speaking at BarCamps, serving as a mentor at IPKO Foundation or partner events or activities.
  • Applicants are strongly encouraged to have additional sources of funding for their initiatives other than IPKO Foundation.

Applications must contain the specific amount of funding being requested for and the actual budget line, and must abide by all eligibility requirements; otherwise, they will not be taken into consideration.

IPKO Foundation guarantees a reply to your request at a maximum of twenty (20) working days after the open call is closed.

IPKO Foundation offers support for organizations for events and activities which aim to:

  • Break down social stereotypes related to technology; to identify routes round barriers to entry for anyone to get into technology; to encourage and nurture those interested in technology; to include men, women and children in the journey (such as Girl Geek Dinners).
  • Enhance youth skills of technology, creativity, innovation and teamwork (such as Prishtina Hackerspace).
  • Engage the community of academics, users, developers and people to promote certain issues related to technology.
  • Establish a new environment for discussion around fields which are related to technology and innovation (such as BarCamps).
  • Help communities, organizations and individuals to connect through presentations, talks, and formal or informal gatherings.
  • Implement activities that relate to the mission of IPKO Foundation, which address the needs of the community and develop effective solutions of daily-life problems (such as UNICEF Innovations Lab Kosovo).
  • Provide trainings or tools for hands-on/practical activities which help youngsters learn tech, soft, or vocational skills (such as BONEVET).
  • Work with youth of pre-college age for educational and career orientation purposes such as but not limited to debates, lectures, workshops, and trainings which support their entry into jobs which require technology use and skills.
  • Promote the digitalization of services within other organizations and/or bridge the digitalization gap prevalent in Kosovo.
  • Induce the opening of data and use such data to come up with reports or solutions that counter any issue or problem (such as Open Data Kosovo).
  • Develop their ideas and transform them into projects or initiatives that benefit the local community or society in general (such as UPSHIFT KMUNA).
  • Contribute towards the development, education and success of the future generation of leaders (such as FS&I Nushi )
  • Seed and develop the passion and love towards technology for the upcoming leaders in the digital field (such as TOKA’s Robo Campand Shkolla Digjitale)
  • Contribute towards open source software, free culture and open knowledge (such as FLOSSK).

Each request for sponsorship will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Applicants must be locally registered non-profit organizations with at least least one (1) year experience of operating with projects or programs that benefit communities in Kosovo.
  • Applications will be compared against each other to ensure gender balance, age and geographic diversity for the people being served.
  • Applicants from smaller municipalities, rural areas, or representatives of marginalized communities are prioritized.
  • Ideally, IPKO Foundation would not be the only funder of the activities. Applicants are encouraged to seek funding from additional donors.

Applications must contain the specific amount of funding being requested for and the actual budget line, and must abide by all eligibility requirements; otherwise, they will not be taken into consideration. Please be reminded that the maximum sponsorship amount is 2,000 EUR.

IPKO Foundation guarantees a reply to your request at a maximum of twenty (20) working days after the open call is closed.

IPKO Foundation nurtures the seeds of innovative ideas that can improve the lives of people living in Kosovo. That is why the Foundation has developed the Next Generation Scholarships program. Our goal is to help young people with creativity, drive and ground-breaking ideas by supporting their education through scholarships. Since 2009, 148 scholarships were given to merit students from accredited universities, in a total amount of 327,323.00 EUR.

The Next Generation Scholarships program has merged into the Sponsorship Program, which IPKO Foundation launched in 2016.

Our Sponsorship program is currently closed, please subscribe to be informed for next phase or write us at sponsorship@ipkofoundation.org

Additionally, IF is also willing to provide access to our scholars, network, and project management expertise which can be a necessary assistance to successful completion of your projects.

Q: How to budget my project?
A: You should provide a very detailed budget plan that shows how the money is going to be spent and after the finalization of your project you should provide a budget justification.

Q: How much money can I get for my project?
A: Depending on the project, you will be fully or partly funded. The maximum amount you can receive is 2,000 EUR.

Q: Can we apply for Organization support if our project doesn’t have anything to do with technology?
A: Your idea should not necessarily be primarily focused on technology but it should include the use of technology in order to be considered. Examples are provided in the Individual and Organization sections on our website. For any further questions, contact us at info@ipkofoundation.org

Q: How do I answer the “What kind of sponsoring do you need?” question?
A: If you are an individual or a group of people who is not registered as an organization who needs funds to sponsor the realization of an idea or project, you should apply for the Individual support. However, if you are more than one person applying for funds to attend the same conference, you should send two separate, distinct applications. If you are an individual who needs funds for supporting your education, you should apply for Scholarship. If you’re a registered organization who needs funding to realize an idea or project, then you should apply for the Organization support.

Q: Does the Sponsorship Program offer scholarships for Master’s degrees?
A: Please refer to the description of the Sponsorship Program. We offer scholarships only for the two final years of Bachelor studies.

Q: Can I apply again if I applied for the last wave of the Sponsorship program?
A: You can re-apply for the other open calls if it is a different idea from the first sponsored one (i.e. a project vs individual or a conference vs a project.). However, we encourage you to contact us before submitting the application for further clarification.

Q: Is my project/ idea eligible to be sponsored?
A: You are eligible to apply if you are: an organization which is legally registered in Kosovo and whose primary activities are in Kosovo; or an individual or group of people who are Kosovo citizens, reside in Kosovo and whose aim is to change Kosovo’s society for the better through your initiatives. In additon, the Organization or the Individual should fulfill the eligibility criteria and include the use of technology, and the funds required should be realistic – not surpass 2,000 EUR.

Q: Should my application be in English only?
A: All application forms should be filled in English.

Q: When will I get an answer for my application?
A: The answers will be sent to the applicants 20 (twenty) working days after the deadline closes.

Q: Can I send some missing documents from my application after the deadline is over?
A: In case the document cannot be obtained before the deadline, you should confirm this with IF and see if it is possible to email it to us after the deadline is closed.

For additional information, please write us at sponsorship@ipkofoundation.org

SUCCESS STORIES

IPKO Foundation has been long involved in the spectrum of technological innovations and has inspired the development of technology through various projects within Kosovo. As to exemplify its core values and main objective to uphold this steady increase in growth both in social and technological terms, IPKO Foundation is proud to share with you some of the inspiring and motivating stories from our past beneficiaries, whose ideas we have helped develop further.

IPKO Foundation has shown extensive support to individuals who exemplify the core values that IF’s mission tries to instill. Apart from providing financial support to innovative and sustainable projects, the Foundation has proven to be the prime advocate of individual development in an effort of building the next generation of leaders with a digital vision for Kosovo. By investing in their further education, IF makes sure that its objectives are put into practice.

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Edi Muhaxhiri

London International Youth Science Forum

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Lira Ramadani

Digital Business Development Course

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Dian Fishekqi

Youtube Tutor "Akademia e Dijes"

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Jon Zuka

3D Printing Chocolate

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Arjeta Mullatahiri

Open Youth Academy

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Dardana Fetahu & Blend Lahu

OBESSU Conference

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Blerta Thaci

Oslo Innovation Week

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Driart Elshani

Opencon

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Endrit Toplica

Building 3D Printers

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Altin Ukshini & Genc Bokshi

CCC Conference

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Pleurat Rudi & Berat Bejtullahu

Tech-Conference in Belgrade

The tech and innovation scene in Kosovo is vibrant. Every day new events are popping up. IPKO Foundation supports events where a new generation of leaders with a digital vision can make connections, share their experiences and develop solutions to Kosovo’s most pressing challenges. We dedicate not only our financial assets but also encourage the participation of IPKO scholars and staff in all the events we sponsor. Since 2009 IPKO Foundation has provided over 32,617.54 EUR in sponsorship funds.

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FLOSSK

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Formon

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Kosovo 2.0

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FIT - Female in Technology

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Action for Mothers and Children

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Anibar

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Lumbardhi Foundation

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CiviKos

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Scholarships for BONEVET Courses

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Qendra per Zhvillimin e Artit - Q'art

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Prishtina Hackerspace

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TEDxPrishtinaWomen

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Young Active Gracanica

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Young Coders

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Childrens Technology Fair and Roboti Ks

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FSI Nushi

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Kosovo Women Network

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Urban Festival

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EUROBY

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Startup Vienna

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Charity Ball organized by Amcham Kosovo

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Kosovo Innovation Camp

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TED-x Prishtina

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FLOSSK - Software Freedom Conference

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KOS-ICT Conference

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REDO Design Conference

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Prishtina Start Up Weekend I & II & III

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Amcham Gala Dinner

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Httpool Prishina

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PASS SQLSaturday

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PIKS

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TOKA

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Trembelat

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Shkolla Digjitale

The number of students applying for the Next Generation Scholarship has increased each year since our launch in 2009.

IPKO Foundation is dedicated in supporting students that exhibit excellence in their ideas on how to improve Kosovo through digital innovation. Winners benefit not just from the scholarship but the opportunities offered by the program which have helped students meet current business leaders, participate in school discussions, and travel Kosovo while promoting ideas that empower students and innovators. We challenge all students to take their original ideas through to its fulfillment. Ideas which can improve their neighborhoods, towns, and in some cases — even the country itself.

For a more in-depth view of the statistics see the documents below:

2015 Scholarship Stats

2014 Scholarship Stats

2013 Scholarship Stats

2012 Scholarship Stats

2011 Scholarship Stats

2010 Scholarship Stats

2009 Scholarship Stats

Policy & Advocacy

IPKO Foundation supports the development of a progressive enabling environment for tech, philanthropy, and social causes in Kosovo. We actively participate in dialogues and discussion with our colleagues in the government, business, and social sector.  In 2012 we supported the development of the Government of Kosovo – Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Digital Diplomacy strategy and funded a team of researchers to prepare a report on Kosovo’s application for a Top Level Domain (TLD) name.  IPKO Foundation is also a member of the Corporate Social Responsibility forum launched by AMCHAM.

Past Programs

IPKO Foundation has a long history of supporting young people by providing them with the necessary tools to further develop both academically and professionally, as well as put ideas into practice.

IPKO Institute (2001-2008) was an education and training organization committed to playing an active role in the ongoing reconstruction and transformation of Kosovo through education and training, primarily within the Information Technology (IT) field. With the formation of the IPKO Institute, the vision of helping Kosovo bridge the digital divide became a reality. In 2001 IPKO Institute became the first private educational institution in Kosovo with the launch of a CISCO Networking Academy. Being a skilled geek was never enough – how can you harness the skills and talent to make successful ventures? In 2003, IPKO Institute filled the gap by creating the Management Program to train skilled managers for the private sector, government and civil society. The course created new young dynamic project managers in private enterprises but also in civil society.