Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine and millions of destroyed lives, Ukrainians continue to fight for their country and freedom. Almost 5 million people, in search of a safe place for themselves and their families, have become internally displaced. Estonian Refugee Council and Garage48 invite women in Ukraine affected by the Russian war, to recover their livelihoods through entrepreneurship.

EMPOWERING WOMEN IN UKRAINE

Since 2019, the Estonian Refugee Council and Garage48 have worked in collaboration, to support women in the Eastern and Central regions of Ukraine in regaining their livelihoods through entrepreneurship. Over 4 years, the Empowering Women Entrepreneurship Programme has shown the strength and determination of Ukrainian women in defying the most difficult odds. By launching micro- and family businesses that support their own livelihood as well as others, and provide jobs and critical services, they fight for Ukraine’s freedom by supporting the resilience of the people and the economy on a grassroots level.

We have opened the programme for the fifth time, to meet the next Ukrainian superwomen. The Empowering Women Entrepreneurship Programme in Ukraine in 2023-2024 is open for next applications. 

WHO CAN TAKE PART?

Applications are open to women from KIROVOHRAD, POLTAVA, and CHERKASY regions, who have lost the means to provide income for their families due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. 

WE ARE WELCOMING:

• women individually with ideas for a micro business located in Ukraine
• existing individual or family businesses with less than 10 employees led by women in need of support to relocate and re-start, inside Ukraine
• business ideas and businesses from various fields, except agriculture.

*Agricultural businesses can apply to the Emergency Livelihoods Programme:
https://register.pagulasabi.ee/livelihoods

HOW DOES IT WORK? 

The whole programme is happening online across the Central regions of Ukraine in Poltava, Kirovohrad and Cherkasy regions. Programme activities are planned mostly for weekends and evening times. The programme is held in English and Ukrainian languages, translations are provided for general sessions and workshops.

During the entrepreneurship programme, you will have the opportunity to improve and get new entrepreneurial skills, learn from experienced entrepreneurs and specialists, build your business network, develop or redefine your business plan, and work on the design of your products and services. We’ll be working with design thinking, business model canvas, branding, creative marketing, financial planning, legal advice, online and social media, founder mental health, presentation skills, and pitching topics. Our experienced local and international mentors from the entrepreneurial and technology sectors will be sharing their best practices in building successful businesses.

The project will consist of hands-on mentoring, workshops, peer-to-peer learning, teamwork, and a live final show, followed by entrepreneurship grants and a mentoring programme for the top participants and teams.

Once your application to the programme has been approved, you will receive all guidelines for entering the programme’s online platforms, attending the workshops, meeting your mentors, developing your business plans, and preparing your final pitch.

To learn more about the programme, get guidance on how to fill out the application form and get guidance for defining your business idea, we will hold an online pre-event on February 29th at 18:00-20:00 UTC+2 (Kyiv time). 

Join the Facebook events for INCUBATION or ACCELERATION. 

In case you have any questions about participation, please contact:

●      Estonian Refugee Council – livelihoods@pagulasabi.ee, +38067 508 0839, https://www.facebook.com/ERCUkraine 

●      Garage48 – kseniia@garage48.org 

ENTREPRENEURSHIP GRANTS & MENTORING

The most successful participants and teams of the entrepreneurship programmes will receive support in the form of asset-based grants. The grants are given out in the form of equipment, tools and services necessary to start or develop their business.

The entrepreneurship grants go hand in hand with a mentoring programme lasting 6 months with individual mentoring and workshops supporting further business development.

A total of 60 successful participant-run businesses will receive entrepreneurship grants:  

• 35 individuals with new business ideas will each receive up to 39 000 UAH
• 25 already existing businesses will each receive up to 195 000 UAH 

Granted individuals with new business ideas are expected to register their business after the entrepreneurship programme, to be eligible for the grant.
*In case of a new business idea, your business can be registered up to 3 months prior to your application date.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are evaluated on the basis of the business potential and social and economic vulnerability of the applicants, by an international jury of entrepreneurship experts.  

• 80 individuals will be selected to participate in the INCUBATION: Entrepreneurship Programme for the creation of new businesses, on April 6-21st, 2024. The application deadline is March 17th, 2024.
• 60 women-led businesses will be selected to participate in ACCELERATION: Entrepreneurship Programme for the relocation and re-starting of existing businesses on May 18-27th, 2024. The application deadline is May 17th, 2024.

Please note that you will need to create a user account before being able to submit the business idea form: https://livelihoods.pagulasabi.ee/login 

To get information about the programme, learn how to register, request technical support, offer feedback or complaint you can contact us on the ERC Hotline 0-738-617-998 from Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 16.00, erc-hotline-ua@pagulasabi.ee or submit a request online.

Please be aware, all humanitarian aid is free! If someone asks you to pay, do something inappropriate or perform any favour or sexual action in exchange for help, say no and call our partner hotline 0-800-309-110 / 0-800-30-77-11 / 0-800-331-800.

In the future, the list of requirements for beneficiaries or target regions may be changed and the list of categories expanded.

The Empowering Women Entrepreneurship Programme is undertaken with the financial support of the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) 

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