WHAT?

The Empowering Women Entrepreneurship Programme is an incubation programme for business start-ups, where we apply start-up best practices and the knowledge of experienced mentors to create competitive and sustainable small businesses founded by women.

FOR WHOM?

We welcome women from all over Estonia who want to start a business and develop their local community outside the urban environment.

• Entrepreneurial ideas are welcome from all backgrounds.
• You can participate as an individual or as a team.
• You don't need to have any previous entrepreneurial experience to take part - what matters to us is an idea with potential and the motivation to make it happen.
• The programme is in Estonian and Russian - we welcome Estonian native speakers, Russian-speaking Estonian women who want to integrate into the Estonian business environment and refugees who can communicate in Russian in Estonia. The activities will take place both jointly and in parallel in different language groups.

WHY?

By actively participating in the programme, you will receive:

• Basic knowledge and practical skills in business idea development and business creation.
• An introduction to the Estonian business environment.
• A professional network among Estonian women entrepreneurs and experts
• Skills to work with mentors 
• Mentoring and inspiration from women entrepreneurs and experts in Estonia 
• Support to finance the creation of your own business

HOW?

1. IDEA GARAGE

Take part in the Idea Garage Idea Day to develop your business idea and find teammates on 19 October, in Saka Manor, Ida-Viru County, Estonia. Idea Garage is a one-day workshop to develop entrepreneurial ideas with a problem-based, user-centred and design-thinking approach. The aim of the Idea Garage is to develop your unique value proposition that combines your vision with the needs of the market. Ideation will take place with the support of mentors and in group work. You can participate as an individual or in a team, with or without your own business idea. The idea day will be held in Estonian and Russian. Catering will be provided during the day and a bus will be organised for all participants from Jõhvi to Saka Manor and back.

2. Submit your business idea by 21 October 23:59

To submit an idea, first register for the programme and then submit your idea by clicking on the "Post idea" through HERE.

3. BUSINESS PLAN HACKATHON

The aim of the 2-week virtual hackathon is to create an initial business plan from a business idea. The hackathon is open to up to 70 women or teams who have submitted a potential business idea and a motivation to participate. The following events will take place regarding the hackathon:

• 1-17 November: virtual workshops and mentoring sessions.
• 23-24 November: the finals of the hackathon in Ilmaveere, Setomaa.

4. INCUBATION
For 4 months, we will support the top 30 women or teams in a business plan hackathon in the first steps of implementing their business plan, with the main activities being:

• Mentoring sessions
• Workshops tailored to the needs of the participants
• Regional inspiration days with active women entrepreneurs.
• E-commerce hackathon
• Preparation of fundraising
• Demo day

5. CULTURAL EVENTS

During the course of the programme, Estonian Refugee Council will conduct two cultural events with the aim of facilitating integration between local and refugee communities. The events will allow programme participants to come together in a relaxed atmosphere outside the academic side of the entrepreneurship programme and to take part in various joint activities. The cultural events will be held in different parts of Estonia, outside of bigger cities.

6. MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

ERC will also lead two MindSpring programme grouos among the refugee background participants. The programme is a group-based psychosocial support programme that supports coping in a new and unfamiliar country. Participation in the programme raises participants' awareness and provides them with new knowledge and skills that will help them to understand the new situation and cope better with everyday challenges, prevent problems and build a social network.

We invite you to participate and make your entrepreneurial idea a reality!

For more questions, email kadri@garage48.org. 

The programme is co-funded by Swedbank, Garage48, Estonian Refugee Aid, The Coca-Cola Foundation, OBJEKT and the European Union.

We are supported by Hooandja, Ida-Viru Entrepreneurship Centre and sTARTUp Day.