People who have fled Ukraine bring with them professional experience and skills, some even from previous self-employment. However, in Germany and Poland, individuals with a migration background who are interested in starting a business face various obstacles and challenges that often seem insurmountable. Business advisory services in Germany and Poland are often not adequately prepared for the specific challenges faced by Ukrainian refugees. Opportunity aims to reduce the gap between the requirements that aspiring Ukrainian entrepreneurs must overcome and the need for tailored advisory support.
Project details
Duration: 10.04.25 to 10.10.26
In the “Opportunity” project, the specific needs and challenges identified by Ukrainian entrepreneurs and advisors within business advisory institutions are being assessed. These insights are gathered through focus group discussions with Ukrainian entrepreneurs and interviews with advisors from various business support organizations in Germany and Poland. Based on this, a curriculum will be developed to effectively support Ukrainian entrepreneurs, along with a training manual for advisors in both countries. This training will then be offered to business advisory institutions to help upskill their advisors and coaches. The goal is to ensure that support services can rely on solid knowledge and methods to address the diverse challenges that arise during the startup process and in the post-startup phase.
A business advisory service is to be established that provides tailored support to Ukrainian refugees in Germany and Poland, enabling their entrepreneurial ventures to successfully contribute to their participation in the labor market and to secure their livelihoods in both countries.
Poland and Germany
The project consortium consists of four additional partners:
- IRC Poland
- EHU – European Humanities University, Lithuania
- MFC – Foundation Microfinance Center, Poland
- Perspektive neuStart, Germany