For entrepreneurs who previously received funding through the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Employment Centre, the second stage of support is being prepared. This involves an additional opportunity to receive a grant of €5,000 for further development or scaling up of the business.
The competition is being held as part of the project “Neighbourhood Centre for Conflict-Affected People in Western Ukraine”, implemented by Hilfswerk International in Ukraine with financial support from the Nachbar in Not fund and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) to support self-employed individuals and micro-enterprises, with a focus on supporting women, sustainable development, the local economy and social impact.
🧩 Competition structure
The competition will generally have three waves of business support throughout 2025, each of which will consist of five main stages:
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Submission of the questionnaire: entrepreneurs who have received grants from the Employment Centre provide brief information about their achievements after receiving the first grant, business plans for the future, motivation to participate and willingness to undergo training.
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Selection of 14 candidates: based on the evaluation criteria, a group of participants is formed who will have the opportunity to complete the training programme.
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Training support: includes 5 offline training sessions, work with a business model, consultations on financial planning, marketing, and preparation for pitching.
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Submission of revised applications: each participant presents their business idea, which is evaluated in terms of the quality of the application, the logic of development, realism and innovation.
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Determining the winners: three entrepreneurs will receive additional financial support.
📊 Assessment criteria
The following are assessed at the questionnaire stage:
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effectiveness of the first grant;
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quality of the idea and growth potential;
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social or regional impact;
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motivation to learn;
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digital activity and innovation.
The following are taken into account at the final stage:
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clarity and logic of the application and budget justification;
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business viability;
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scalability;
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social value.
🌍 Geography and inclusiveness
The selection of participants will take into account not only business performance indicators, but also the balance of regional representation, the participation of women, internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups. In this way, the organisers aim to create a level playing field and support those who are particularly in need of entrepreneurial empowerment.
📆 Sales schedule
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First wave: January – June 2025
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Second wave: May – October 2025
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Third wave: September 2025 – February 2026
Each wave will have the same structure, and participants from previous waves will not participate again.
It is expected that, based on the results of three rounds of the competition, a total of 42 participants in the training programme (14 in each round) will be supported, nine of whom (three in each round) will receive additional funding in the form of grants. As a result, the quality of business plans will be enhanced, the strategic vision for development will be improved, the visibility of local entrepreneurship will be increased, and a selection of examples of effective use of grants to create sustainable businesses will be compiled.