Service Accelerator applications in progress: a free program for the development of innovative tourism solutions, applications until February 4, 2026.
Applications for the Service Accelerator are open until Wednesday, February 4, 2026, and the program's goal is to help micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises develop new or improve existing services that have a clear application in tourism. According to the organizers' announcements, the program is free for selected participants and offers a combination of individual consulting, mentorship, and practical tools. The Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) supports the program as an associate partner on the Interreg Euro-MED GreenSET project. The CNTB emphasizes that the focus is on activating existing resources throughout the year, extending the main part of the tourist year, and increasing revenue by attracting new market segments. Thus, the Service Accelerator is positioned as a tool that combines innovation, sustainability, and business feasibility, with the goal of making new services applicable even outside the peak summer period.
Unlike many calls addressed exclusively to tourism entities, the Service Accelerator is also open to companies from other sectors. According to the published conditions, companies from ICT, manufacturing, or creative industries can also apply if they are developing solutions that can be integrated into the tourism offering. This includes digital tools for travelers, products, and services that enhance the quality of experience, as well as operational solutions that reduce resource consumption and costs. Organizers state that participants are expected to be ready for testing and validation, not just presenting an idea. In practice, this means working on a prototype, checking market interest, and creating a model that shows how the service will be financed in the long term.
Seasonality as a permanent challenge: why the emphasis is on a year-round offer
In Croatian tourism, high numbers often mask a structural problem – the concentration of demand in a short summer period. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics (CBS) states that in 2024, 20.2 million arrivals and 93.7 million tourist overnight stays were realized in commercial accommodation. In the structure of overnight stays, according to the same data, foreign guests account for more than 90%, which further increases sensitivity to changes in international demand and prices. At the peak of the season, destinations face infrastructure overload, crowds, and rising costs, while outside the season, part of the capacity is underutilized. Such a traffic distribution also affects the labor market, as it is harder to retain staff when work is strongly tied to a few months. In the long run, seasonality also shapes investment decisions, as return on investment relies on a short period of intense demand.
Eurostat, in its analysis of seasonality in tourist accommodation for 2024, points out that Croatia is among the countries with the most pronounced seasonality. The same analysis states that 56% of all overnight stays in Croatia were realized in July and August, which is significantly above the European average. Eurostat also warns that in highly seasonal countries, winter months carry a very small share of annual traffic, which then reflects on business stability and service availability. In this context, programs aimed at developing services for the pre-season and post-season become part of a broader destination resilience policy. The idea is not only to attract guests outside of summer but also to better utilize existing resources, labor, and infrastructure throughout the year. It is precisely here, according to the CNTB, that space opens up for the targeted development of services that complement the classic offer and create new sources of revenue.
GreenSET and Interreg Euro-MED: a European framework for the circular transformation of tourism
The Service Accelerator was developed within the framework of the GreenSET project, funded through Interreg Euro-MED 2021–2027. According to the official project description, GreenSET is focused on the circular transformation of Mediterranean tourism, along with the development of tools, training, and methodologies that help companies reduce waste and use resources more efficiently. Nine partner countries are involved in the project, and the common logic is that small and medium-sized enterprises need practical, operational support to turn sustainability into a competitive advantage. The Interreg Euro-MED program, according to official descriptions, finances transnational projects that strengthen cooperation and governance in the Mediterranean region, with an emphasis on greener and smarter development models. In tourism, this means connecting institutions, businesses, and organizations that can spread knowledge and tools from one country to another. GreenSET acts in this architecture as a project that tests concrete methods instead of remaining at the level of general recommendations. This opens up the possibility for successful pilot services to become examples of good practice for other destinations as well.
According to the published open call, GreenSET has launched a selection of companies that will test the MEDSSIM methodology through pilot activities. The call states that the goal is to select three companies per partner country, a total of 27, and that companies do not currently have to be active in tourism. A key condition is that they develop a service or solution that can be applied in tourism and has the potential for a green and circular breakthrough. Selected participants, according to the same document, receive tailored mentorship, practical tools, and support in concept development. The emphasis is on not treating sustainability as an additional cost, but as a source of efficiency, differentiation, and competitiveness. Organizers state that the methodology helps reduce operational costs through more efficient resource use while simultaneously opening new sources of revenue. Such an approach is particularly relevant for destinations facing seasonal overload and low utilization outside of it.
MEDSSIM methodology: from internal analysis to a validated service concept
The central tool of the Service Accelerator is the MEDSSIM methodology (MED Sustainable Service Innovation Methodology), which organizers describe as a practical, step-by-step approach to service innovation. According to published information, the methodology leads companies through internal analysis and ecosystem mapping, identification of opportunities and idea generation, development and validation of services, design of a sustainable business model, and an implementation and continuous improvement plan. In the first phase, the emphasis is on understanding one's own capacities: what the company can realistically deliver, where its limitations are, and which processes are the most expensive or least efficient. In parallel, key stakeholders in the ecosystem are mapped, such as partners in the destination, suppliers, local institutions, and target users. This avoids developing a service in isolation, without insight into how it will fit into the existing offer and value chain. Organizers emphasize that such a start accelerates later phases because ideas rest on verifiable data and clear assumptions. In tourism, where the perception of quality is quickly formed and difficult to repair, early work on assumptions reduces the risk of costly mistakes.
In the development and validation phase, the idea is translated into a concrete concept that can be tested. Organizers emphasize that the goal is to avoid a situation where a service is launched without verification, only to discover later that it does not solve the guest's or destination's real problem. Validation, according to the announced program structure, can be carried out through prototyping, pilot offers, or targeted testing with users. This is followed by the design of the business model: how the service is charged, what its main costs are, what resources are necessary, and what its scalability is. Special emphasis is placed on sustainability and circular principles to reduce waste and optimize resource consumption. Organizers state that the goal is not just "greener" marketing, but changes visible in processes and measurable indicators. The completion of the methodology provides for an implementation and continuous improvement plan so that the concept becomes operational, not just a presentation document.
Who can apply: SMEs from tourism and other sectors
The Service Accelerator is intended for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises registered in the Republic of Croatia, applying the EU definition of SMEs: fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of up to 50 million euros or a total balance sheet below 43 million euros. Organizers particularly emphasize that applicants can also come from non-tourism sectors if they are developing a service with potential application in tourism. Thus, the program attempts to open up to innovators who can bring "lateral" value – technology, design, product, or process – which tourism companies themselves find harder to develop. In practice, tourism increasingly relies on digitalization, personalization of the offer, smart visitor management, and more sustainable operations. Therefore, solutions from other sectors can prove crucial, especially when the goal becomes extending the season and increasing value per guest. Organizers say the more important question is what the solution does and how it can be implemented, rather than which activity the applicant came from.
On the official program page, the organizer also provides practical examples of profiles of companies that are currently not active in tourism but are acceptable applicants. The intention is to show that the applicability of the solution is sought, not a formal activity label. In practice, tourism increasingly takes over tools and approaches from technology, design, and manufacturing, so innovations are often born outside of classic tourism companies. Such applications can be particularly valuable for destinations that want to expand the offer outside the summer peak and reduce operational costs through more efficient processes. Examples of acceptable profiles, as stated by the organizer, include the following categories.
- ICT companies developing applications, self-guided tours, or other digital tools aimed at travelers
- manufacturing companies offering sustainable products for visitors, including eco-equipment and recreational products
- creative industry companies designing innovative experiences or new service concepts
What participants get and what they must provide
According to the CNTB and STEP RI, selected companies receive individual business consulting, mentoring support, and practical tools for the development, testing, and validation of innovative services, along with greater visibility at the European level. Organizers state that by the end of the program, each company should have a new service concept developed, tailored to specific needs and maturity level. It is emphasized that support is provided through expert services, not through cash payments, so the key value lies in knowledge, methodology, and mentoring work. STEP RI, in the conditions of participation, states that participation is treated as indirect state aid in the form of advisory and expert services, with an estimated value of 3,600 euros per company. The organizer emphasizes that this amount is not paid to the user but represents the value of services provided free of charge. Such a model lowers the entry barrier and increases the accessibility of the program to smaller companies that would otherwise find it difficult to finance a similar level of expert support.
Participants are expected to actively participate in workshops and mentoring sessions, share relevant business information needed for service development, and ensure the participation of at least two people from the company. It is also required to appoint a contact person who coordinates activities with mentors, as well as availability for the project's communication activities, including the possibility for results to be presented through case studies or catalogs of good practice. STEP RI states that participation extends over approximately two months, with a total engagement of about eight working days, including education, individual meetings, and independent tasks. According to the announcement, the program is conducted live, with the possibility for selected participants to follow part of the content online if following exclusively live is difficult for them. The organizer emphasizes that the schedule is adapted to the availability of participants to ensure the feasibility and completion of pilot activities. In practice, this means that participants are required to clearly plan their time and internal coordination, as service development requires decisions and quick feedback from the company.
Key dates and selection criteria
The application deadline is February 4, 2026, and applications are submitted via an online application form. According to the published schedule, evaluation of received applications is planned from February 5 to 20, 2026. After evaluation, companies that are selected should be invited at the end of February 2026 to sign a letter of intent, by which they confirm acceptance of the conditions of participation. The implementation of the program, according to the organizer's announcement, takes place in March and April 2026, when workshops and mentoring work are planned. Thus, the service development cycle fits into the period before the start of the main season, which can be an advantage for companies that want to test a solution before the summer peak. Organizers also point out the possibility of additional meetings with experts by mutual agreement, if a need for additional support in the integration of new services arises. Such flexibility can be important for applicants developing more complex solutions, such as digital systems or services that require more partners in the destination.
The selection criteria, according to the published conditions, are based on motivation and commitment to service development, capacity and resources for active participation, and openness to innovation and cooperation. In practice, this means that a clear intention and a realistic engagement plan are sought, not just a general idea. Organizers also emphasize readiness to test new approaches, which implies accepting feedback and eventual changes to the concept during the program. In such a framework, the internal organization of the company is also important: who makes decisions, who communicates with mentors, and who will implement changes in processes. According to the announced structure, the program should end with a concrete service concept, and this requires an active role of the participant in every phase. Organizers state that selection will be conducted based on submitted applications, in accordance with the program's goals and the available capacities of pilot activities. This also emphasizes a competitive element: the number of places is limited, and a well-prepared application can be decisive.
What such programs can bring: more stable income and less pressure on destinations
Service accelerators do not change the structure of tourism overnight, but they can build a portfolio of solutions that gradually change the destination's offer. In Croatia, where a large portion of overnight stays is concentrated in July and August, every solution that attracts guests in the pre-season and post-season reduces risk and increases income stability. This is also important for local suppliers, cultural institutions, and small service providers, as consumption is more evenly distributed. Eurostat's analysis of seasonality shows that a marked concentration of traffic also carries operational consequences, from pressure on resources at the peak to low capacity utilization outside the season. Therefore, the development of services that better use existing infrastructure throughout the year can also be seen as a destination resilience measure. In practice, this can mean more content in spring and autumn, better managed visitor flows, and an offer targeting market segments with different travel habits. Programs like the Service Accelerator attempt to achieve this shift through structured development rather than through improvisation.
For companies considering applying, the most important thing is to assess whether they have a clear opportunity they want to develop and people who can carry out the process. The program offers methodology, mentors, and structure, but success depends on how ready the company is to change existing practices and accept testing in real conditions. Organizers say the goal is to come out with a concrete, elaborated service concept, not a general plan or a marketing idea. Combined with the European framework and the exchange of knowledge among partners, such a concept can more quickly find its way to the market and potential collaborations. If the service proves to be sustainable and meets the guests' needs, it can become part of the destination's year-round offer and a source of more stable income. Ultimately, this is also the message from the CNTB: extending the season and increasing the value of tourism require new products and services, but also a process that turns these ideas into feasible solutions. The Service Accelerator tries to do just that – combine innovation, sustainability, and business discipline in a short but intense development cycle.
Sources:- Croatian National Tourist Board (CNTB) – press release about the program and applications ( link )- STEP RI – official page of the Service Accelerator program (conditions, schedule, criteria, contact) ( link )- GreenSET (Interreg Euro-MED) – open call and description of pilot activities of the MEDSSIM methodology ( link )- GreenSET (Interreg Euro-MED) – basic information about the project and goals of circular transformation of tourism ( link )- Croatian Bureau of Statistics – release "Tourist arrivals and nights in 2024" ( link )- Eurostat – "Seasonality in the tourist accommodation sector" (data for 2024, published 2025) ( link )- Interreg – description of the Interreg Euro-MED program ( link )
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