Project DTP2-048-1.2. WOMEN IN BUSINESS - Fostering the Young Women Entrepreneurship in the Danube Region is co-financed under the INTERREG Danube Transnational Program, Priority Axis 1 "Innovative and Socially Engaged Danube Region", 1.2 "Increasing skills and knowledge for business and social innovation".
It aims to stimulate young women with innovative ideas to start up and develop their own business to achieve market success by enhancing their competencies for business and social innovation by setting up women entrepreneurship centers and developing innovative training models.
WOMEN IN BUSINESS is a response to certain specific needs of young female entrepreneurs in the Danube Region, which is implemented through transnational project activities aimed at:
-Research, evaluation and comparison of the needs and barriers faced by young women wishing to start a business as well as the policy measures in the Danube region to support entrepreneurship among young women and to develop good practices for supporting young women entrepreneurs with a view to updating regional programs;
- Improving regional development policies and programs by developing a viable Female Entrepreneurship Support Program to match policy tools to the needs of young women wishing to start a business;
- Development of innovative educational solutions and models for development and improvement of entrepreneurial culture, skills and competencies among young women wishing to start a business.
The project consortium includes 14 partners from 9 different countries in the Danube Region, bringing together national and regional public and private organizations and universities.
 
Lead partner is Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovations – Varna, Bulgaria
Partners:
Innovation Region Styria LTD, Австрия
Варненски свободен университет „Черноризец храбър“, България      
Technology Park Varaždin Ltd, Хърватия
bwcon GmbH, Германия
Maribor Development Agency, Словения
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Štajerska, Словения
Pannon Business, Унгария
The Association of Small and Medium Enterprises Constanta, Румъния
OVIDIUS University of Constanta, Румъния
School of Economics and Business, University of Sarajevo, Босна и Херцеговина
Organization for Small and Medium Enterprise Sector Development, Молдова
Министерство на икономиката, България

Start date: 01-06-2018
End date: 31-05-2021
Budget in EuroМ
Overall: 2 021 050 Euro
ERDF Contribution: 143 7392,5 Euro
IPA Contribution: 144 500 Euro
ENI Contribution: 136 000 Euro

 

 

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1. PROJECT NEWS: 

 

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STUDIES OF THE CURRENT STATE OF YOUNG WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUPPORT ARE DEVELOPED  

The results from the on-line survey among all young women, interviews with national stakeholders and successful business women were processed and presented in 9 National Studies of Current State. The main motivation factors, barriers and gaps in YWE support are identified as well as some recommendations for improvement of the support environment in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Romania and Slovenia.
Based on these nine individual documents, and based on the collected quantitative and qualitative data, a Transnational Study of the Current State was prepared and approved by the project Advisory Board.
/all National Studies will be uploaded and news will be uploaded on the project web/
 

CONCEPT FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRE

Concept for Women Entrepreneurship Centre (EWC) was validated by Advisory Board.  4 EWCs will be set up of in: Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Bosnia and Herzegovina within Women in Business Project.
 
EWC is a multifunctional space that creates economic opportunities for women through
entrepreneurial education and training, mentoring, and networking. It has to provide
quality education and training for young women entrepreneurs.
 
GET INSPIRED!
WOMEN IN BUSINESS project started an informational campaign GET Inspired! It aims to highlight 27 young women entrepreneurs and their stories for business success, in order to inspire and encourage young Women to take initiative and to not be afraid of launching their own business.

 

2. PROJECT EVENTS:

 

Partnership meeting and conference "Women's Entrepreneurship in the Danube Region under a Project "Fostering the Young Women Entrepreneurship in the Danube Region-WOMEN IN BUSINESS" under the Danube Transnational Cooperation Program 2014-2020 took place in Varazdin, Croatia.

 

From 01.10.2019 till 03.10.2019 Partnership meeting and conference "Women's Entrepreneurship in the Danube Region under a Project "Fostering the Young Women Entrepreneurship in the Danube Region-WOMEN IN BUSINESS" under the Danube Transnational Cooperation Program 2014-2020 took place in Varazdin, Croatia. Representatives of all partner organizations attended the meeting.

On the first day were presented the good practices of female entrepreneurs from Croatia. During the second half of the day we visited a woman's factory working in the agricultural sector which presented its good practice.

During the first part of the second day the best practices of women entrepreneurs continued to be presented. During the second part of the day a VFU representative presented the final versions of the training models that will be applied at each of the University Women's Entrepreneurship Centers.

The day continued with a meeting of the Advisory Board at which a political framework analysis was presented and endorsed by the Council, and also a final evaluation and validation of best practices which have to be included in the Handbook and to be prepared were endorsed.

On the third day a conference entitled "Women's Entrepreneurship in the Danube Region" was held.

 

 
 

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TRANSNATIONAL LEARNING EVENTS:
In the frame of the last six months of the WOMEN IN BUSINESS project implementation  3 Transnational Learning Events (TLEs) were held. ODIMM hosted the 2^nd TLE in Cisinau, Moldova in November, 2018,PBN – 3^rd TLE in Sarvar, Hungaryin March 2019 PBN – 3^rd TLE in Sarvar, Hungaryin March 2019 and MRA – 4^th TLE in Maribor, Slovenia in April 2019. Moldavian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Slovenian and Austrian good practices have been presented during the mentioned event. All the Project Partners and members of the WOMEN IN BUSINESS Advisory Board gained extensive knowledge on different business women support initiatives delivered by the national authorities, and business support organizations.

 

TRANSNATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS MEETING

 
The members of the project Advisory Board met for the first time during the Transnational Stakeholder Meeting (THM) hosted by PBN in Sarvar, Hungary, A fruitful discussion about the Transnational Study of the Current State and the draft Concept of the EWCs were held.
During the 2^nd TSHM hosted by MRA and SGZ in Maribor, Slovenia the Transnational Study of Current State was validated. Important input was given for finalizing of the Concept.

Thematic Task Group Meeting

The first Thematic Task Group Meeting was organized by MRA in Maribor, Slovenia on 9^th April 2019 where the feedback for the new training models development was provided. It was conducted as a workshop, where the participants were working in three separate groups on the following segments of the training model:

• Methodology for training models development,
• Designing of training models,
• Managing and evaluation of training activities

 
 
 




2nd round of NATIONAL STAKEHOLDER MEETINGs was organized in all project partners’ countries - Austria, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Moldova, Slovenia, Germany and Romania.
The aim of the round tables was to discuss and validate at national level the Study of the Current State of Young Women Entrepreneurship Support, where are analysed the main results from conducted survey among young women for their needs barriers met when starting own business, as well as the results from interviews with stakeholders and young successful business women about the available support tools.
 
 

 

CAPITALISATION ACTIVITIES

WOMEN IN BUSINESS - THEMATIC CAPITALISATION WORKSHOP, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

WOMEN IN BUSINESS project was presented on the Thematic Capitalisation Workshop in Budapest by Dr. Krisztina Keller PhD, University of Pannonia. The Event took place on 22th of January 2019 in Budapest, Hungary and was hosted by the IFKA Public Benefit Non-Profit Ltd. for the Development of the Industry. 

 

RAPIV - LEADER OF THE WG “WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP” UNDER PA 8 OF EUSDR

On 19th December 2018 during the 15th Steering Group meeting of the Priority Area 8 of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region held in n Stuttgart, RAPIV was selected to lead the Working Group “Women Entrepreneurship”. Discussions on future activities within the area and review of the Action Plan were held. A technical meeting of the PA 8 WGs was organized on the 07^th March 2019 in Berlin where presentation of the workplan and next steps were discussed.

 

WOMEN IN BUSINESS - EXTERNAL EVENTS

The WOMEN IN BUSINESS project was presented at6th conference "In Support of Women's Entrepreneurship" in Maribor, Slovenia and during the workshop "Development solutions for new businesses" in Constanta, Romania. More than 100 youngsters and women were informed about the possibilities that will be provided for business support in the framework of the project.
 
 

SAVE THE DATE!

 
July 2–4, 2019 – Transnational Learning Event “Good Practices for Young Women Entrepreneurship Support from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany”, Transnational Stakeholder Meeting in Sarajevo
 
October 1-2, 2019, Transnational Learning Event “Good Practices for Young Women Entrepreneurship Support from Croatia”, Transnational Stakeholder Meeting in Varazdin, Croatia
 
October 3th 2019, DCP Event “Fostering Women Entrepreneurship in the Danube Region”, Varazdin, Croatia


SUBSCRIBE TO WOMEN IN BUSINESS NEWSLETTER!
 

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS - PROJECT PARTNERS HELD KICK-OFF MEETING IN VARNA, BULGARIA

 

Kick-off Partners Meeting took place on 17th and 18th of July 2018 in Varna, Bulgaria, hosted by the Lead Partner - Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovations – Varna (RAPIV).
Full coverage of partnership participation was ensured in the Kick-off meeting where partners discussed the frames of common work procedures and shared the knowledge on the content of the project as well as administrative, management and financial issues clarifying the obligations and responsibilities in accordance with the timeline and sequence of actions.
A positive feedback from DTP JS was received at the end of the Meeting.
For more information: http://www.interreg-danube.eu/news-and-events/project-news/2552