The National Confederation for Women's Entrepreneurship (CONAF) – Timișoara Branch organizes Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 11 am, at the West University of Timișoara, the county semifinal of the "Marathon for Entrepreneurial Education" IV business plan competition, part of the homonymous national program dedicated to discovering vocation and developing the entrepreneurial spirit among young people.
The program has reached its fourth edition, is implemented in 30 counties and is carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research, the West University of Timisoara and the National Association of Entrepreneurs, with the National Bank of Romania (BNR) as a strategic partner. The program concept is registered with OSIM, confirming its innovative and original character, at a time when entrepreneurial education was almost absent from the educational path of young people.
In a constantly changing economic and professional context, where adaptability and initiative become essential skills, entrepreneurship education takes on a strategic role. Through this program, CONAF creates a framework in which high school students can test their ideas, develop their critical thinking and build the confidence necessary to take the first steps towards a responsible professional future.
The event brings together 14 teams of 4 to 6 high school students from Timiș County, who will compete with business ideas developed following entrepreneurial education classes, held starting in January 2026. Approximately 570 high school students benefited from these applied sessions, supported by local entrepreneurs, actively involved in the formation of a new generation oriented towards initiative and economic responsibility.
During the county semi-final in Timișoara, the participating teams will be evaluated by a jury made up of entrepreneurs and experienced professionals, who will analyze the proposed business ideas, their feasibility, the method of implementation, the coherence of the business plan, the ability to work in a team and the quality of the presentation.
The team ranked 1st will qualify for the national final in Bucharest, where they will have the opportunity to interact with top entrepreneurs, participate in mentoring sessions, and validate their ideas in a large-scale competitive context.
CONAF believes that entrepreneurial education is about business and the formation of a mindset. It means the courage to try, the assumption of responsibility and the ability to transform ideas into reality. Through this program, CONAF offers high school students information, experience, inspiration and direction because the future is not expected, it is built.
The event will be attended by representatives of local authorities, the educational and entrepreneurial environment, coordinating teachers and students involved in the program.
Access to the event is free, subject to availability.
The "Entrepreneurship Education Marathon" is the largest national program dedicated to high school students, which connects education with the business environment and actively contributes to the formation of a generation prepared to meet the challenges of the future economy.
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National sponsors: Auchan Romania, XP Group, Garanti BBVA, Elit, Bizz Club, Adservio.
Mobility partner: Renault Romania.
Media partner: Magic FM.
This event would not be possible without the support of local sponsors.: Tiny House Vibe, Sky Restaurant, Camelot Play Ground, Party Private Pavilion, Kontakt, Lex Coffee, Seneville, Flight Festival, Codru Festival, Edu Story, Luna Residence, Life Concept Clinic, Blemore, First Bloom, Tied Dining Restaurant, IBIS Hotel, Reborn Float&Spa, Clinica Dr. Butta, Clinica Dr. Pescariu, Ink Tasking, Il Classico, Napo Restaurant & Garden, Fropin, V Board, Vesel Fluturas, Banat Bun, Evelyn School, Steaua Sirius, Elite Educational Center, County Center for Resources and Educational Assistance, Fun&Adventure, Metropolitan Life, Vocea Generației, Valentina Donagher Therapy & Mentoring.
Local media partners: TVR Timisoara, Kiss FM, UVT MediaHub.
About CONAF:
The National Confederation for Women's Entrepreneurship (CONAF) is the most relevant confederation in Romania that advocates for more efficient dialogue with authorities, collaboration in the development of public policies that lead to sustainable economic growth and supports entrepreneurs, recognizing their merits. CONAF is the largest entity of its kind in Romania, an organization that supports and promotes Romanian entrepreneurship, an unprecedented thing, which opens horizons of collaboration and cooperation both domestically and internationally. CONAF was established as a result of the need to create a modern, sustainable and equitable entrepreneurial culture, not only for female entrepreneurship, but also for the entire business environment. CONAF has 31 branches, 3 federations, 16 employers' associations, 55 associations and 15.000 companies, over 245.000 employees.
CONAF organizes important events for Romanian society, focused on continuing education, awareness and finding solutions for problems and areas of broad public interest. It develops and completes national projects with a strong impact, both for society and for the development strategies of central and local authorities.
Among CONAF's projects, we mention the "Youth Pact", the "Marathon for Entrepreneurship Education", the "Entrepreneurial Vocation" Forum, the "24 Trends for 2024" Forum, SupraTAX, "DigitalUP" "Labor Pact" - in partnership with FPPG, the "Entrepreneurial Education Pact", the "Romanian Venture Forum" series of open dialogues, "Romanian Tourism: Between Impasse and Opportunity", which generated, in addition to echoes in the public space, legislative decisions and positive changes in mentalities. Hundreds of speakers and thousands of entrepreneurs debated in the most important Romanian cities, the most pressing problems, in order to find optimal solutions and the best strategies for the future.
CONAF Board of Directors: Cristina Chiriac, Dana Nuță, Nicoleta Munteanu, Marius Ghenea, Anca Damour, Tatian Diaconu, Hildegard Brandl, Daniela Marişcu, Gabriel Biriş, Dan Oros, Görkem Oran, Theodora Popa
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