Mini-Grant Competition for Women Entrepreneurs Producing Craft Products

The charitable foundation “Women’s Opportunities in Ukraine” in collaboration with The Jewish Federations of North America, announces a nationwide mini-grant competition “Create Your Own,” aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs engaged in the production of craft products. This initiative is designed to stimulate female entrepreneurial activity in a creative production environment, providing women with the opportunity to realize their creative projects and business ideas.

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Purpose of the Competition

The competition aims to:

• Support local businesses and producers.
• Promote craft products at national and international levels.
• Foster the development of businesses that can compete with mass-market goods.

Size of Mini-Grants

Women entrepreneurs can receive mini-grants ranging from 50,000, 100,000, or 150,000 UAH, depending on the scale of production and the business idea.

Eligibility Criteria

Women eligible to participate in the competition must:

• Reside in Ukraine (excluding temporarily occupied territories).
• Be officially registered as individual entrepreneurs in the craft production sector.
• Have no business ties with Russia and no tax debts.

Acceptable Industries

Grant support will be provided to entrepreneurs in the following sectors:

• Folk crafts
• Light industry
• Food industry
• Fashion and design
• Furniture manufacturing
• Jewelry business, etc.

Selection Criteria

The evaluation of applications will consider:

• Business sustainability (financial indicators, profitability).
• Creativity and feasibility of the business idea.
• A clear business plan.
• Co-financing.
• The business’s impact on regional development.
• Presence of products in the international market.
• Previous positive experience in receiving grants from other funds.

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Project Funding

Applications will be categorized into three groups:

1. 0-1 employee: up to 50,000 UAH.
2. 2 to 5 employees: up to 100,000 UAH.
3. More than 5 employees: up to 150,000 UAH.

Use of Grant Funds

Grant funds can be used for:

• Purchasing equipment to expand production.
• Acquiring raw materials and supplies (no more than 50% of the total).
• Marketing services (no more than 30% of the total).

How to Participate

To participate in the competition, applicants must fill out an application form and attach a short video presentation (up to 3 minutes), explaining the production, team, and business idea.

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Deadline

The application submission period will last until October 18, 2024.

For more details and conditions of the competition, you can refer to the provided link.

This initiative provides an excellent opportunity for women entrepreneurs to realize their ideas and support the development of craft production in Ukraine.