enpact

"Before the war, I was a design engineer, but in Lutsk, I started my own business producing handmade caramel. I lack the knowledge to develop my work, and I want to learn as much as possible from coaches and mentors." - Natalya Belimova, Ukrainian entrepreneur and sweets manufacturer. On the 26th of April, participants, partners, donors, and our team gathered in the beautiful city of Lviv to mark the beginning of a six-month journey. 75 entrepreneurs from coal regions in Lviv and Volyn Oblasts have already started learning and networking, and took part in their first workshop last week which focused on leadership in times of crisis.

 In this video, participants of the project share their experience of how they started their businesses and how the closures of the coal mines and war induced disruptions have affected their work. They also share why they joined the program and what they're looking forward to! Interested in connecting with the participants or supporting the project as an expert or mentor? Send us a message and our team will get back to you! 👇 The ‘Just Transition through Entrepreneurship’ Project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. #JustTransitionUA #Ukraine #EmpoweringEntrepreneurship #SMEs #ClimateAction

We hope that you are able to take some time at the end of the year to refresh, recharge, and create wonderful memories with your loved ones, or doing what you love. This year has been particularly challenging on a global scale. While we recognize the struggles that entrepreneurs and small companies face amidst political, economic and social uncertainties, we remain committed to highlighting their work. We choose to focus on those whose resilience, determination and spirit are what keeps us all going and hoping for a better tomorrow. And we thank you for being part of our mission to support them, and help them bring their ideas, their solutions, to life. There's still a lot to do, but we'll save that update for 2025. Until then, Happy holidays and Merry Christmas from the enpact team. 💚

What does it mean to adapt your business to a post-coal economy? 🏭 Our last post in the series of highlights and learnings from the Just Transition through Entrepreneurship Day in Lviv! 💙💛 The concluding session of the day, "Adapting Business for Post-Coal Economy" addressed the specific challenges faced by coal-mining towns as a result of closing the coal mines to transition to clean energy. They include: workforce shortages due to migration, the decline of major industries, and a lack of re-training opportunities for mining professionals. Participants of the program, together with the industry experts who took part, also highlighted infrastructure issues such as limited transportation links, abandoned buildings, and insufficient resources to support economic reform. To tackle these issues, they proposed: 👉 Creating platforms for interdisciplinary collaboration, 👉 Supporting small and medium-sized businesses, 👉 Renovating infrastructure to match the new needs of the town. They also emphasized the importance of partnerships between educational institutions and local businesses to create internships and job opportunities, helping to build a skilled workforce for the future. If you missed the previous parts of the series, or if you want a deeper dive on the topic, check out the link on our website: https://bit.ly/3PcMR5X The Just Transition through Entrepreneurship project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

Throwback to an unforgettable evening at our hub Startup Haus Cairo in Egypt with #enpactdoroob’s tourism participants! 🌟 Here is a rundown of what happened: ✨Interactive Pitches: Our four talented teams presented their innovative ideas to industry experts.  🤝 Networking Opportunities: Participants had the chance to connect, exchange insights, and build valuable relationships with the incredible Ahmed Yehia Ismail, CEO & Founder of Eco Nubia, Sandra Farid, CEO & Founding Partner of Acumen Consulting Egypt, and Mariam (Mia) Nezar, Founder & CEO of Bellies En-Route.  🍴 Delectable Dinner: A farm-to-table culinary experience by Makar Farms that brought everyone together around a shared table of flavors and ideas. Building upon their progress in 2024, the doroob teams will continue their journey with the incubator, working together to launch their MVPs while gearing up for the program's landing pad in Berlin in 2025. doroob program is implemented with the support of DROSOS FOUNDATION. #EmpoweringEntrepreneurship #Egypt

First workshop for the Ecosystem Builders Track participants of the Just Transition through Entrepreneurship project in 🇺🇦 💙💛! Six Ukraine-based Business Support Organizations (BSOs) gathered for their first online workshop focused on organizational assessment and growth planning. Through interactive and group exercises, BSO teams utilized hands-on tools to determine their starting point "A", from which they can assess their resources and what they need in order to grow their operations and provide wider support to entrepreneurs in the region. The 'Just Transition through Entrepreneurship' Project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The Ecosystem Builders Track is implemented in cooperation with Civitta. #JustTransitionUA #EcosystemBuildersUkraine #SustainableDevelopment #JustTransition

Meet Mykola Koval, a participant in the #JustTransitionUA project from Lviv. Mykola brings his background in systems engineering to the field of sustainability and waste recycling. Since 2007, he and his partners have been researching, testing, and producing organic fertilizers from digestate, a byproduct of the anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste in biogas plants.“We’re a team of like-minded people, each with a role and a mission,” says our participant. Together, the team has developed several products, including liquid fertilizers and incinerators for food companies. They also recycle coffee waste to create a unique organic fertilizer specifically for coffee plantations. Recently, they’ve added granule fertilizers and greenhouses to their lineup, which they plan to launch soon. “All of them can be used together, as they are parts of one system aimed at growing food sustainably,” explains Mykola. Like many participants in the #JustTransitionUA project, Mykola faces challenges. Skilled professionals such as fitters, welders, and engineers are hard to find. Additionally, raising awareness about his team's technologies and approaches remains a hurdle. “We need to focus on education. Many educational institutions focus on chemistry, but there’s little understanding of how to work with the land,” describes Mykola his experience. Mykola mentions the newest fertilizers that he and his partners produced while talking about his proudest professional moments. “This year, we finally produced granular fertilizers. We have been working on it for a long time, have done a lot of experiments, and have made a great granule. This is a very big achievement,” he highlights. Looking ahead, Mykola is focusing on launching his team’s new greenhouses and granular fertilizers. Additionally, he and his team will collaborate with partners to do experiments to revitalize scorched soil damaged by artillery shelling and bombardments in the Kherson region. Thanks to enpact’s support, Mykola has gained valuable knowledge in marketing, presentation skills, and navigating the EU market. Financial assistance also enabled his team to enhance their website and accelerate packaging and label production for the granular fertilizers, allowing them to bring the product to market sooner. The ‘Just Transition through Entrepreneurship’ Project is funded by Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH GIZ Ukraine. #JustTransition #Ukraine #SupportLocalBusinesses

The normal reality for persons with auditory disabilities is silence. Even with rapid developments in Sign Language, they still face barriers in everyday life. “From reading to watching TV to chatting with people, if sign language is not included, a person with hearing loss is unintentionally left behind,” says Omar Abdelsalam, Founder of SensEar, part of the Empowering Inclusion In Employment (EIIE) program. “We are wired to connect as humans, but not everyone can connect with Sign Language. The world needs to understand the isolation caused by such a barrier.” Omar realized this problem at a very young age. He was 14 when his father’s car broke down during a road trip: “While searching for a mechanic, we reached one with hearing and speech difficulties. It was my first time to meet a person with disabilities. He tried to communicate with us using sign language, but none of us could understand the other,” Omar recalls. Young Omar zoned out at that moment while staring at the mechanic’s face. He then noticed the man’s glasses and wondered: ‘What if these lenses could translate our words into Sign language?” Here, the idea of SensEar sparked in his head. Augmented Reality-powered glasses integrated with a mobile app—Omar today introduces SensEar as an innovative solution for persons with auditory disabilities: “Giving them the independence needed to self-develop, learn and explore resources.” With a hologram-like display on the lenses, users can navigate digital content with real-time translation into sign language. Despite his young age, Omar decided to harness his passion into a mission. He established Makeen - مكين with the support of his father and started experimenting with the model of SensEar and other assistive tools that cater to diverse disabilities. He also launched fundraising campaigns and connected with experts and volunteers to support the development process. After 13 prototypes developed over 9 years, 23-year-old Omar now introduces SensEar in a version that translates over 50,000 words in formal and colloquial Arabic. “It weighs around 45 gm so users can wear it for up to 10 hours without strain.” Through the EIIE Incubator, Omar with his team—Muhammad S. and Ahmed Saeed—are refining SensEar’s software to launch an early access version over the first quarter of 2025. If you want to check it out and contribute to SensEar’s mission to foster further independence for persons with auditory disabilities toward learning and development, leave a comment or drop a message and we will connect you. The Empowering Inclusion in Employment programme is implemented by the nonprofit organisation enpact within the cooperation framework between the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Egypt, which implements on behalf of the German Government. The programme is implemented as part of the Equal Opportunities and Social Development (EOSD) Project. #AccessibilityForAll

A Look Back at #enpactdoroob’s Incubation Camp: Together with 8 incredible teams from the agriculture and tourism tracks, we went on an unforgettable 4-day journey in Ismailia! 🚀  From navigating Marketing Strategies, Operational Planning, and Financial Analysis to bonding over uplifting icebreakers and one-on-one mentoring sessions, the camp was all about fostering innovation, teamwork, and productive outcomes.💡  The highlight? An outdoor session by a serene lake, bringing fresh perspectives and keeping the inspiration alive! ✨  A huge thank you to the MASAR Organization team for curating top-notch content, providing subject matter trainers tailored to the participants’ ideas, and ensuring seamless logistics to make this happen. doroob program is implemented with the support of DROSOS FOUNDATION. #EmpoweringEntrepreneurship #Egypt

Six business support organizations and chambers of commerce in Albania are working to finalize their services design. Now that they’re done with the theoretical part, it’s time to set the plans in motion. Their next step is to pilot their services with small business owners in their member networks to get feedback and improve how they do entrepreneurship support. But, while they work on that, we want to take a moment before the year ends to recognize all the experts who were by their side every step of the way. First up, Jetona Myteveli! With over 25 years of experience, she is an expert in business development and driving change. She has successfully led the Balance Center and managed a pool of 50 business experts in Albania, focusing on supporting innovative startups and competitive MSMEs. Her efforts are centered on building capacities and spearheading impactful projects with organizations like GIZ-ProSEED, GIZ-SRD. She’s worked extensively on international development cooperation programs with organizations such as SNV, UN, EBRD, TDH and WV. Jetona focuses her career on promoting green practices through strategic collaborations with governments, private sectors, and international bodies. She supports MSMEs in facing challenges, becoming competitive, and achieving growth by enhancing their business planning, access to finance, and digital marketing strategies. “I'm thrilled to be part of the Ecosystem Builders program with enpact in Albania. The values of this project align closely with my own.” From Jetona’s perspective, the program can create an impact on 3 dimensions: 💫 Diversifying and enhancing the portfolio of private sector organizations  💫Encouraging collaboration and knowledge exchange across the six organizations 💫Bringing an international variety of expertise, tools and resources Thank you Jetona for being part of the #EcosystemBuildersAlbania adventure! #EcosystemBuildersAlbania #Albania #ChambersofCommerce #ISOs #BSOs The program is implemented in collaboration with GIZ Albania, within the framework of the “Sustainable Economic and Regional Development, Employment Promotion and Vocational Education and Training – ProSEED 2.0” project, on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Continuing our coverage on the insights from our Just Transition through Entrepreneurship Day in Lviv! 📽️ One of the most insightful activities from the event was a roundtable that focus on Entrepreneurship within the context of Economic Development Cooperation. During this session, participants and experts explored topics such as growth through collaboration, navigating grant applications, and implementing business support programs. They discussed challenges like uncertainties in future business opportunities, difficulties with production expansion, complex grant processes, and limited communication with local authorities. The lack of tailored programs and continuity after their conclusion was also highlighted as a significant issue when it comes to entrepreneurship support. Solutions emphasized the need to equip business owners with advocacy tools, improve communication with government bodies through business associations, and better adapt grant processes to local realities. They also identified two ways to ensure long-term program impact and sustainable business development: 👉 Flexible use of grant funds 👉 Creating opportunities for networking and information sharing 💙 Swipe through for more insights at a glance. (Available in English and Ukrainian)✍ 💛 Learn out more details about the project and event on our website: https://bit.ly/3PcMR5X Thank you to everyone who took part; formats like these allow us to look at the work we do from various perspectives and improve how we work together to build stronger, more impact-oriented business ecosystems. The Just Transition through Entrepreneurship project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. #JustTransitionUA #SustainableDevelopment #InternationalCooperation #Ukraine