Since 2023, under the organisation of an international consortium led by the Azerbaijan Microfinance Association, a three-year development program titled "Associations for the Future" has been launched in our country to foster the growth of business and professional associations. The Association of Cybersecurity Organisations of Azerbaijan has successfully participated in this project.

The project aims to enhance the capabilities of participating associations in delivering services innovatively, increasing inclusive economic opportunities, and contributing to economic prosperity. It seeks to strengthen the role of business and professional associations in Azerbaijan's economic development. Within the project's framework, it provides training for the development of knowledge and skills of association staff, expands collaboration among associations, offers consultancy support in necessary areas, and implements sub-grants for selected topics.

Within the framework of the project, ACOA employees participated in a total of 25 training sessions on various topics, including project and grant management, operations management, financial sustainability, human resources management, member relations management, lobbying and public representation, innovative service delivery, strategic planning, and more, thereby enhancing their knowledge. It is worth noting that the training sessions comprised 15 modules focused on institutional development, leadership, and soft skills.

Additionally, regular peer meetings were organised by the participating associations. The purpose of these meetings was to get to know the beneficiary associations more closely, share information about them, their areas of activity, and success stories with other associations, facilitate experience exchange, networking, and the development of cooperation. One such meeting was organised by ACOA at the office of the “Cyberpoint” company. During the meeting, Rauf Jabarov, Deputy Chairman of the ACOA’s Board, provided information about the organisation, answered participants' questions, and highlighted the contributions ACOA could make to other organisations in the IT and cybersecurity fields. Participants also had the opportunity to visit the cybersecurity operations centre of the “Cyberpoint” company.

Another advantage of the "Associations for the Future" project was the support provided through the micro-grant initiative. Through this support mechanism, ACOA was able to create an electronic catalogue of IT and cybersecurity products and services.

At the conclusion of the current phase of the project, a strategic week was held, during which training sessions on the development of strategic plans and roadmaps for the associations were conducted, and leading experts provided recommendations. Within the mentorship module of the project, experts in strategic planning offered consultancy support to the associations and contributed to the development of their strategic plans.

It should be noted that the "Associations for the Future" project continues successfully, encompassing a total of 20 business associations and professional unions.