SILab Ukraine Launches Entrepreneurship Program for Women

The SILab Ukraine Women’s Entrepreneurship Program offers women living in the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine a four-day course to acquire skills, confidence, and tools necessary for entrepreneurship. This free program caters to women who are willing to start, improve or expand their business ventures.

The workshop combines practical business learning tips, consultation with experts, peer learning, and business planning. Attendees will be able to share their experiences with fellow women leaders, get feedback on their ideas, and understand practical ways to translate their entrepreneurial idea into reality.

Key Highlights:

• Free four-day entrepreneurship training for women in Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk region
• Participants gain business skills, expert mentoring, and support to develop business plans
• Selected finalists can receive microgrants to launch or expand their businesses

The course follows a practice-based approach to the field of entrepreneurship. As opposed to confining the participants in class-room oriented study, it encourages the participants to put their learnt knowledge into practice. The participants will be guided by experts on how to deal with various issues concerning their ventures, and at the same time prepare their own business plans.

This program provides an opportunity for participants to earn funds as well. Microgrants can be provided to the selected finalists to help them start their ventures or develop already existing businesses. The selected participants will also get assistance with lodging, meals, and travel expenses.

With the help of skills and leadership development and mentoring, business planning, peer interaction and the possibility of getting financial assistance, SILab Ukraine aims to assist in transforming ideas into sustainable businesses.

The program offers practical exposure during regarding development and management of a sustainable business. This includes the generation and validation of business ideas leaning business planning, market research, customer analysis, and the process of MVP creation which allows them to validate their business concepts.

In addition, there will also be training on financial planning and modelling, legal and tax considerations, sales, and marketing, which will help them develop a robust base for business operations. The training also covers stakeholder engagement, resource mobilization, grant writing, and possible sources of funds. At the same time, the process of working on the business plan allows to reveal the resources required and acquire potential sources of funding.

The program is designed for women living in Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine and is interested in establishing, developing or enhancing her business ventures. It is especially aimed at women who are socially or economically vulnerable. It targets internally displaced women, women from host community, wives, mothers and daughters of military or former soldiers. The program also accepts applications from relatives of victims of war, poor women with children, mothers of children with disability, mothers of many children, and single mothers.

For few participants the micro-grants will serve as an additional tool enabling them to gain necessary funds to start putting their ideas into action. Such aids can help women make informed business decisions and become confident entrepreneurs.