Co-funded by EBRD: how N’Zon Space transformed our reservations
By the end of 2024, N’Zon had a working website, a basic management system, and a small but growing membership. What we didn’t have was a proper way for members and new visitors to interact with the space directly, in real time, from a phone. The next logical step was a hybrid platform: a web application and a mobile app working together, with reservations and payments built in.
That step happened with co-funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), known locally as BERZH, through its Advice for Small Businesses programme. The programme has been operating in Albania since 1996, supporting more than 810 enterprises with consulting projects co-financed alongside the company itself, with funding from the European Union, Italy, Luxembourg, Sweden, and EBRD’s own funds. It works by sharing project costs with small businesses on focused interventions in areas like digital transformation, marketing, and operations. For N’Zon, that meant building N’Zon Space.
The project ran from December 2024 to April 2025 and covered the full cycle: UI/UX design, frontend and backend development, system testing, staff training, and rollout into daily operations. The result is a hybrid platform with both a web version and a mobile application, built around a few core functions that members rely on every day: booking spaces and services, basic reservation management, online payments at a foundational level, and a simple chat system between client and staff.
For members, that means a modern coworking experience in their pocket. Browse hotdesks, private offices and meeting rooms, see availability, book directly from a phone, pay in-app, and message us if something comes up, all without back-and-forth that used to live in DMs. A first-time visitor can now discover N’Zon, book a day pass, and walk through the door without ever sending a single message.
For our team, the impact has been just as real. What used to take a series of conversations and spreadsheet entries now happens in a few clicks. The hours we save are hours we redirect into community programming and member support, the kind of qualitative work that defines N’Zon’s character.
It’s worth being honest about what N’Zon Space is and isn’t. The current version is a functional starting point, deliberately kept lean. It’s the foundation we wanted before scaling up, not the finished product. There’s plenty of room for the platform to grow as the space grows, and that’s exactly the design we asked for.
There’s also a wider context worth naming. EBRD’s mandate is to support the development of market economies through investment in projects that promote sustainable growth and innovation. In Albania, the bank has committed more than 1.9 billion euros across SME-focused programmes. Being selected for co-funding placed N’Zon inside that broader framework, a small, locally rooted business contributing to the modernisation of Albania’s creative and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Our thanks to EBRD for recognising the potential in our project, and for partnering with us at exactly the right moment in N’Zon’s growth.
