[Cristina Cipriani]

Format Formazione Tecnica (Venice – Italy) is a VET and lifelong learning organisation based in Venice with more than 30 years of experience in vocational education, skills development and innovation transfer. The organisation designs and delivers advanced training programmes for young people, adults, professionals, SMEs and public administrations, supporting the green and digital transition through innovative learning methodologies.

Format has extensive expertise in:

design and implementation of vocational education and training (VET);
innovative teaching and learning methodologies;
digital learning environments and blended learning;
AI-supported education and digital skills development;
reskilling and upskilling programmes for SMEs and workers;
competence assessment and certification;
stakeholder engagement and co-creation processes;
pilot testing and validation of innovative training models;
dissemination, capacity building and exploitation of project results.

The organisation has significant experience in European cooperation projects (Erasmus+, ESF, Interreg and other EU programmes), collaborating with universities, research centres, public authorities, chambers of commerce, enterprises and civil society organisations.

Preferred Mission

Mission: Sustainable Tourism – Innovative Sustainable Economy

Format is particularly interested in joining projects that test innovative capacity-building solutions supporting the Mediterranean transition towards a more sustainable, digital and resilient economy.

Areas of Interest

We are looking to join partnerships addressing topics such as:

Digital and AI skills for SMEs;
Green and digital transition of vocational education;
Innovative methodologies for lifelong learning;
Skills ecosystems for regional innovation;
Capacity building for public authorities and innovation intermediaries;
Human capital development supporting circular economy and sustainable business models;
Testing transferable training models and competence frameworks;
Digital transformation of education and workforce development.
Expected Role

Format can contribute as Work Package Leader or Project Partner by leading or supporting activities related to:

Needs assessment and stakeholder engagement;
Design of innovative training methodologies;
Development of learning curricula and competence frameworks;
Pilot implementation and testing activities;
Capacity building programmes;
Co-creation workshops and Living Labs;
Evaluation of training impact;
Communication, dissemination and exploitation;
Transferability and replication strategies.
Added Value

Format brings to the consortium:

strong expertise in innovative vocational education;
extensive experience working with SMEs and local ecosystems;
capacity to design and validate pilot training solutions;
multidisciplinary trainers and instructional designers;
solid dissemination capacity through regional, national and European networks;
experience in translating innovation into practical, scalable training solutions.

[Ognjen Radišić]

Dear Ms. Cipriani,

I am reaching out on behalf of the City of Teslić (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to express our interest in exploring cooperation with Format Formazione Tecnica in the framework of the upcoming Interreg Euro-MED Multi-Programme Mechanism Coordinated Call on Sustainable Tourism.

The City of Teslić is a municipality in northern-central Bosnia and Herzegovina with approximately 38,000 inhabitants and a distinctive territorial profile comprising an urban centre and numerous rural settlements dispersed across a mountainous landscape. Tourism is one of the key pillars of our local economy, with particular strengths in spa and wellness tourism, rural tourism, and mountain tourism. Consequently, the development of a sustainable and resilient tourism sector is one of the strategic priorities of our municipal Development Strategy 2018-2027.

Over the past years, the City of Teslić has actively supported sustainable tourism development through projects such as Via Dinarica (Phases I and II), Eco Food Tour (Interreg CBC Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina), and other initiatives aimed at promoting natural and cultural heritage, strengthening local tourism businesses and improving the visitor experience.

We also have extensive experience in implementing international projects in cooperation with partners such as the European Investment Bank, Czech Development Agency, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), UNDP and USAID. Furthermore, Teslić is currently a partner in the Interreg Euro-MED project WATERVILL – Innovative solutions for enhancing village water supply and addressing water scarcity in resilient rural and mountainous areas (https://watervill.interreg-euro-med.eu/2026/02/06/focus-on-pilot-municipalities-city-of-teslic/), participates in the NetZeroCities initiative as a Mission-Minded City, and is a mentee city in the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI). These experiences have strengthened our capacity to transfer, adapt and capitalise on innovative European practices at the local level.

Having reviewed Format’s profile and portfolio, we see strong complementarity between your experience in vocational education and training, tourism-sector skills development, territorial marketing, digital communication, SME networking and European projects, and our role as a potential pilot territory for the transfer and adaptation of sustainable tourism solutions.

We are particularly interested in the capitalisation and transfer of proven Interreg outputs related to sustainable, rural and ecotourism, rather than limiting the concept to a single predefined solution. In this regard, the TOUR project and its Joint Ecotourism Strategy (https://tour.southadriatic.eu/sites/default/files/2026-04/TOUR_OUTPUT1.1_Joint_Ecotourism_Strate_with_MoU.pdf) are particularly inspiring examples for us, as they demonstrate how an integrated approach to ecotourism can support cooperation among tourism stakeholders and help territories develop more sustainable tourism models.

This is where we see a particularly interesting role for Format. Your experience in translating territorial and sectoral challenges into practical skills, training programmes, tourism products, digital communication and stronger networks among local economic actors could provide an important dimension to the capitalisation process.

For example, Format’s previous work on digital marketing for tourism, integrated tourism itineraries, territorial marketing and networking among local SMEs, together with your experience in tourism-related training and digital skills development, could complement the transfer of an existing Interreg tourism methodology or strategy. Such an approach could help ensure that capitalised outputs are not only transferred at a strategic level but are also translated into practical capacities and activities for tourism businesses and local stakeholders.

Our current interests particularly focus on the transfer and adaptation of proven solutions related to circular and low-impact tourism, smart destination management, active and sustainable mobility, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience of tourism destinations, community-led tourism development and participatory governance.

We would greatly welcome the opportunity to discuss potential areas of cooperation and explore how the City of Teslić could contribute to your consortium.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Kind regards,

Ognjen Radišić
City of Teslić
Department for Local Economic Development and EU Integration
Investors Cooperation Officer
📧 ognjen.radisic@gradteslic.com| ☎️ +387 53 411 552

[Gabriela Popova]

Dear Ms. Cipriani,

My name is Gabriela Popova, and I represent BATTI Association.
BATTI is an NGO based in Varna, Bulgaria. Our region is eligible for the Interreg Euro-MED calls, and we have experience in two projects under this programme: GARDEN and Med-Routes. Med-Routes focused specifically on sustainable tourism, allowing us to gain strong expertise in this field.

We also work on other tourism-related projects under the Interreg Danube Programme, such as Roman Legacy. Currently are partners in 9 Interreg projects in total under the different Programme Regions.

As an NGO, according to the programme rules, we cannot act as the lead partner. We would like to join as partners in future consortia. Thanks to our extensive experience, we would be pleased to support you in the preparation of the project proposal.

BATTI Association’s expertise includes digital tools, research, innovation, training and education, dissemination and communication, sustainable measures and reporting, cultural routes, and sustainable tourism.

We would be happy to explore potential cooperation opportunities with you.

Kind regards,
Gabriela Popova
battinnovation@gmail.com
BATTI Association

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