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RE-FEM Newsletter #1 – June 2023

Welcome to the first Newsletter of the RE-FEM project

By signing up for our Newsletter, you can enjoy the following advantages:

Stay updated with the latest developments in female entrepreneurship.
Get inspired by captivating stories and videos.
Access research publications from RE-FEM.
Receive first-hand news about upcoming events.
Gain valuable insights into innovative approaches for female entrepreneurship.

Invitation to participate in the RE-FEM survey targeting women entrepreneurs

In the framework of the RE-FEM project, the partnership has developed a survey that aims to gather valuable insights and perspectives from women entrepreneurs to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they face after the Covid-19 pandemic and in recent times of multiple crises.

We kindly request the participation of women entrepreneurs running their own businesses in any of the following countries to fill in our survey:

The survey results will provide us with data for compiling a research report and help us tailor educational programmes useful for educators supporting women entrepreneurs. The research result is planned to be published on the RE-FEM project’s website in November 2023.

Hungary (Hungarian)

Serbia (Serbian)

Bulgaria (Bulgarian)

Finland (Finnish)

Romania (Hungarian)

Slovakia (Slovakian)

Spain (Spanish)

Finland (Swedish)

ABOUT RE-FEM

RE-FEM – ‘Upskilling pathways for REsiliency in the post-Covid era for FEMale Entrepreneurs’ is an Erasmus+ project led by HETFA Research Institute, aiming to empower women entrepreneurs, through need-based training for maintaining resilient businesses in the post-covid era. The project also wants to serve the needs of the trainers and mentors in business support and entrepreneurship working in the field of adult education by providing easily accessible, high quality and transformative training tools.

Consortium of RE-FEM

RE-FEM gathers 1 Higher Education Institute, 2 research institutes, 2 public bodies, 2 business supporting NGOs and 1 individual entrepreneur.

Coordinator

HÉTFA Research Institute (HU)

Partners

Andalucía Emprende Fundación Pública Andaluza (ES)
Brand-Sofi (FI)
Mihajlo Pupin Institute (SRB)
Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovations (BG)
Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania (RO)
SEED Foundation (HU)
Slovak Business Agency (SK)

Activities of RE-FEM

The implementation of RE-FEM consists of several interlinked activities in order to provide efficient entrepreneurial development for women through research, needs-based, high-quality training materials, e-learning modules and establishing an international network group for all the target groups involved in the project.

The partnership will first conduct comparative research (Project result 1) to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges women entrepreneurs face in the post-pandemic area, focusing on specific aspects of women with fewer opportunities.
Based on the research result, partners’ expertise and knowledge in developing adult education, the partnership will develop an inclusive and accessible Training Manual (Project result 2) with training materials and methodologies, and an Open Education Platform with an online course for entrepreneurship training (Project result 3). The training materials and online course will be tested and introduced to the wider public through pilot training and public stakeholder events in all partner countries.
During the project, the partnership will lay the foundation for an international network, where women entrepreneurs, associated partners and consortium members can connect, build relationships, learn from each other and find partners for their future projects.
RE-FEM will formulate policy recommendations to define directions for adult education, entrepreneurship, and the labour market to support women entrepreneurs in building and managing resilient businesses in the age of digital transformation. The recommendations will be summarised in a ‘Policy Study’ (Project result 4).

More information

EVENT RECAP

1st Transnational Meeting

The consortium gathered for the first time in December 2023. The 2-day kick-off meeting was successfully held on 15-16 December 2022 with the active contribution of all partners. The event’s main aim was to establish the main framework of project management and lay the foundations of good cooperation.

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Women’s Entrepreneurship Day – Hungary

On 22 November 2022, Oborni Katalin (HETFA, HU) participated in a roundtable discussion on advocacy opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

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Women Entrepreneurship Thematic Group of Enterprise Europe Network

The RE FEM project was successfully presented at the meeting of the thematic group for women’s entrepreneurship within the Enterprise Europe Network on 12 May 2023 by Oborni Katalin (HETFA Research Institute).

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WINGATE conference

On 22 May 2023, the RE-FEM project – among other activities of HETFA – was presented by Katalin Oborni, (HETFA Research Institute) at a conference organized by the WINGATE project.

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ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Małgorzata Druciarek

Senior RIS Project Manager at the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) Food

Gabriela Kostovska Bogoeska

Executive director, Foundation for Management and Industrial Research

Ivana Radić

President of International Network od Business Women

We are proud to introduce the members of the RE-FEM Advisory Board.

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RE-FEM AMBASSADOR NETWORK

The objective of the RE-FEM project Ambassadors is to inspire those women of all ages and backgrounds who are interested in starting their own businesses in the future. We are pleased that 14 project ambassadors have been recruited from all the RE-FEM project partner countries. The Ambassadors will contribute to the work of the RE-FEM project by:

Promoting female entrepreneurship, the RE-FEM project, its objectives and results to educators, trainers, mentors and women entrepreneurs;
Sharing their experiences and personal stories of becoming and being an entrepreneur to boost the self-confidence of women.
Representing RE-FEM at public events;
Giving expert interviews within the research conducted in the framework of the RE-FEM project;

The first online meeting with the RE-FEM Projects Ambassadors took place on the 21st of April 2023.

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FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR SPOTLIGHT

Inspiration stories from all across Europe

Spain

Ana Medina García has been recognized with the award in the ‘Women Founders’ category. Entrepreneurship World Cup 2022. She defines herself as an entrepreneur in continuous learning. Co-founder and CEO of Genengine, a company dedicated to the design and development of decision support solutions in clinical genetics. Her Malaga-based firm is dedicated to digitizing and optimizing processes in the genetic-clinical field, helping doctors make more efficient decisions in the diagnosis of rare diseases. Her motivation: The passion for innovation and social impact is her DNA. She focuses on the development of innovative solutions that facilitate the translation of research to the clinic and promote the practice of personalized medicine. LinkedIn

Finland

Linnea Strand is a young entrepreneur who can really act as a role model, as she is showing the way to more sustainable entrepreneurship. Due to her burning interest in entrepreneurship and sustainability, Linnea founded the food waste company LivsVinn in 2019 after completing a master’s degree in economics from Hanken in Vaasa. She is 27 years old, grew up and lives in Närpes, where she also now runs her company LivsVinn. Linnea has taken up the fight against a disproportionately large amount of food waste in Finland by mediating affordable food products that are too old to be sold in grocery stores. For example, tomatoes defined as overripe are saved to be converted into waste tomatoes and processed tomato products. The tomatoes come from the surrounding area because there are several greenhouse entrepreneurs in the municipality. She herself also grew up in a greenhouse family where both parents are entrepreneurs. Now she realizes her dream focused on sustainability issues, a real role model for others. LivsVinn creates a win-win situation for everyone.

PARTNER’S ACTIVITIES HIGHLIGHTED

Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania

Gergely Orsolya and Kádár Beáta presented a paper at the 16th International Conference on Economics and Business, CHALLENGES IN THE CARPATHIAN BASIN, with the title: What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger? The situation of female entrepreneurs after a long crisis period from Romania according to a desk research and expert interviews. The paper presents the results of a national desk research regarding the situation of female entrepreneur in the first month of 2023 and a qualitative research conducted among experts regarding female entrepreneurs from Romania.
Orsolya Gergely (project coordinator at Sapientia and lead researcher in RE-FEM) was invited to the Mozaik program of Transylvanian Hungarian Television to discuss the #metoo movement that emerged over half a decade ago, and to explore whether any significant changes have occurred since its inception. The conversation also focused on the outcomes of the numerous courageous individuals who spoke out against sexual harassment and assault. More information is available here.
On June 14th, Gergely Orsolya moderated a roundtable discussion in Csíkszereda organized by the IT Plus cluster, with the participation of three women working in the field of information technology. The focus of the discussion was to explore the reasons behind the dominance of certain professions by either men or women, and whether gender inequality in a specific field influences the career choices of today’s young people. The conversation also addressed the anticipated changes in these statistics in the future.

Slovak Business Agency

Women in business in Slovakia can be recognized and rewarded thanks to the Female Entrepreneur of Slovakia competition that is organized by the Slovak Business Agency (SBA) for two decades. The main idea of the contest is to reward successful women in business and their ability to establish their companies firmly in the market as the position of women entrepreneurs, in comparison with male entrepreneurs, is more difficult since most of the women entrepreneurs are responsible mothers that have to synchronize their personal and professional lives. The contest aims to showcase the best women entrepreneur in Slovakia, and in such a way to motivate other women not to be afraid to start their own businesses or develop existing enterprises. This contest is held to identify successful women entrepreneurs in a variety of categories in order:

to inspire the next generation of women;
to acknowledge their hard work;
and to show them the respect that they deserve.

GET TO KNOW OUR SISTER PROJECTS

The WOMEN IN BUSINESS is a project co-funded by INTERREG Danube Transnational Programme, implemented by 14 organizations from 9 countries, led by RAPIV during the period June 2018 – Nov 2021, focusing on fostering young women entrepreneurship in the Danube Region.

Among all the achieved results, we are proud to have established Women Entrepreneurship Centres (EWCs) in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Within the activities of EWCs, the consortium developed 3 training models for different stages of female business development: women with zero business experience or less than 1Y; start-ups up to 3Y experience; and advanced women with more than 3Y experience.

During the pilot testing more than 240 young women from all over the Danube Region took part in our training, 6 face-to-face workshops, 35 webinars, and met 20 trainers.

The Good Practices Handbook is a result of joint efforts of all WOMEN IN BUSINESS project partners. 43 good practices for women entrepreneurship support are identified and included in the database to be used as inspiration, but only 10 – best of them are presented in details and showcased in the Good Practice Handbook.

More information is available here.

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RE-FEM Newsletter #2 – December 2023

Looking up at skyscrapers in perspective

Welcome to the second Newsletter of the RE-FEM project!

We are thrilled to have you on board and share our incredible journey to support women entrepreneurs in the post-COVID era.

By signing up for our Newsletter, you can enjoy the following advantages:

Stay updated with the latest developments in female entrepreneurship.
Get inspired by captivating stories and videos.
Access research publications from RE-FEM.
Receive first-hand news about upcoming events.
Gain valuable insights into innovative approaches for female entrepreneurship.

SIGN UP

ABOUT RE-FEM

In a world where challenges are ever-present, building resilience is crucial for female entrepreneurs. RE-FEM recognizes this and is committed to offering solutions that empower women to navigate these challenges successfully.

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RESEARCH REPORT

Women Entrepreneurs in Turbulent Times

Get ready to dive into the research report published in the framework of RE-FEM. The report provides results on the impact of COVID-19 and all other crises that came after the pandemic and affected women entrepreneurs.

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EVENT RECAP

Joint Staff Training in Budapest

RE-FEM partners gathered in Budapest between 20-22 November 2023, for a Joint Staff Training to discuss the next steps of the project. Partners updated each other on the progress of the project, and discussed major upcoming tasks, such as developing the Training Manual.

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Research results showcased all around Europe

In recent months, the RE-FEM project, its objectives and its first research findings have been disseminated across various platforms in Europe. Explore our dissemination activities!

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RE-FEM objectives presented in Spain

Andalucía Emprende, a partner in the RE-FEM project presented the European RE-FEM project on June 22, 2023 in the Forum of Women Leaders in the Blue Economy.

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RE-FEM PROJECT AMBASSADORS

The RE-FEM project Ambassadors aim to inspire women of all ages and backgrounds who are interested in starting their own businesses in the future. We are pleased that 14 project ambassadors have been recruited from all the RE-FEM project partner countries. Please get to know our Ambassadors via the link below.

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RE-FEM EXPERT TRAINING

Recruitment will start soon

RE-FEM expert training provides also access to new knowledge, tools and methods and training possibilities, growing a personal network, including the possibility to become a member of the RE-FEM community and/or a project ambassador, possibility to attend further project activities and support women entrepreneurs, exposure to new and different perspectives.

We are looking for:

Trainers, mentors and coaches who have or wish to have experience in providing support to women entrepreneurs;
Educators from higher, vocational and adult educational institutions who wish to have deeper knowledge about practical aspects of gender relevance of entrepreneurship;
Experts from business support organizations who want to change the female entrepreneurship world and share their experience with other peers.

Who can apply?

everyone who works/has experience in providing business support services as a trainer, adult educator, mentor, business consultant, coach or similar;
is located in the country/city where the training will take place: BG, ES, FI, HU, SK, RO.

LinkedIn Group

Exciting news! We are gearing up to launch a LinkedIn group that will serve as a hub for collaboration, sharing insights, and fostering connections within our community. Stay tuned for the official announcement!

Motivational videos

Get inspired by successful female entrepreneurs from different countries. As one Slovak entrepreneur wisely said, “Overcoming crises and building resilience is a team sport! Communities are one of the key pillars that can help female entrepreneurs overcome crises.” The videos will be available on our YouTube channel soon. Subscribe today!

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. GA no. 2022-1-HU01-KA220-ADU-000089295

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RE-FEM Newsletter #3 – June 2024

Welcome to the third Newsletter of the RE-FEM project!

We’re delighted to welcome you and share the latest updates and insights about the RE-FEM project!

By signing up for our Newsletter, you can enjoy the following advantages:

Stay updated with the latest developments in female entrepreneurship.
Get inspired by captivating stories and videos.
Access research publications from RE-FEM.
Receive first-hand news about upcoming events.
Gain valuable insights into innovative approaches for female entrepreneurship.

SIGN UP

ABOUT THE PROGRESS OF RE-FEM

RE-FEM – ‘Upskilling pathways for REsiliency in the post-Covid era for FEMale Entrepreneurs’ is an Erasmus+ project led by HETFA Research Institute, aiming to empower women entrepreneurs, through need-based training for maintaining resilient businesses in the post-covid era. Currently we are halfway through the RE-FEM project. Let’s see, what happened, since the last Newsletter!

We have successfully shared our Research Results both online and offline;
we have presented the RE-FEM project during 4 external events, such as workshops, university lessons or project meetings;
and our partners are actively working on the Training Manuals, to make sure that they are finalised by the autumn of 2024!

If you would like to see a summary of what the RE-FEM consortium works on throughout the whole project, you can look up our poster, that provides a brief summary of our main actions.

CLICK TO SEE OUR POSTER

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR RESEARCH RESULTS

Communicating about research results in an accessible way is vital for all projects conducting research, therefore for RE-FEM as well. The data visualization series of the RE-FEM Research Report helps to tell stories by presenting complex information in a form easier to understand, focusing on the patterns and outliers.

PILOT TRAINING FOR TRAINERS SUCCESSFULLY ORGANISED

RE-FEM partners have been busy organizing our pilot training sessions for both trainers and women entrepreneurs over the past few months.

These pilot trainings are essential for testing the materials prepared by RE-FEM and improving them based on participant feedback. During these events, attendees receive an introduction to the RE-FEM project (including main activities, project results, and opportunities for engagement), learn about skills-based entrepreneurship education, and test the training materials.

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PRESENTING RE-FEM AROUND EUROPE

Presenting RE-FEM on the project meeting of WE.Circular in Varna

The RE-FEM project has been presented during the transnational project meeting of the WE.Circular project held in Varna, Bulgaria on March 19-20. Discovering synergies and building capacity is essential when implementing projects. Therefore, we are delighted that we had the opportunity to present the RE-FEM project in during the kick-off meeting of the “WE.Circular – Boosting the capacity of women entrepreneurs for a sustainable transition to a circular economy” project, organised by RAPIV.

Presenting RE-FEM on event Klub TCP in Bratislava

The Slovak Business Agency had the chance to introduce the RE-FEM project during the event organized by Top Centrum Podnikateliek in Bratislava. It was a great opportunity to present the international RE-FEM project to women entrepreneurs in Slovakia and share valuable information about the latest results achieved by the RE-FEM team so far.

Brand-Sofi presents RE-FEM

Ann-Sofi Backgren (Brand-Sofi) gave a lesson on “Entrepreneurial Capital” to marketing students at the University of Vaasa. Since the main focus of the lecture was female and micro entrepreneurs, it provided the perfect opportunity to talk about the RE-FEM project as well, presenting the research results of the project.

Ann-Sofi Backgren was also invited to a workshop in Krakow organised by EU CAP Network, with its main topic being women-led innovations in agriculture and rural areas. Ann-Sofi Backgren was invited to speak about how to empower women entrepreneurs and how to support more innovations led by women.

MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS

Over the past half year, we have been working on making more Motivational Videos about women entrepreneurs. The motivational videos created throughout the project serve the purpose to be educational resources. These videos feature stories and testimonials from women entrepreneurs, presented through structured interviews where speakers share their experiences, motivations, and the challenges they faced, especially during crises like the Covid-19 pandemic. The interviews cover how they overcame these challenges, the support they received, and the solutions they implemented, while also discussing what they would need to better handle future crises. Additionally, the entrepreneurs offer advice to their peers on becoming more resilient. We believe these serve as great examples, from which we can learn. In an educational setting, these Motivational Videos can be used as case-studies.

Take look at the Motivational Videos

STAY TUNED

The RE-FEM Training Manual is coming soon!

The Training Manual to be launched in the autumn of 2024, aims to create innovative training materials and concepts to support trainers, educators, and mentors in assisting women entrepreneurs. The manual will help improve the skills and competencies of women entrepreneurs, enabling them to tackle the challenges faced by them. It will consist of three parts:

an introduction to the project and its training materials,
five detailed modules on various aspects of entrepreneurship,
and sample training schedules along with case studies and evaluation experiences.

The training modules will cover digital transformation, access to finance, servitisation and innovation, sustainability, and personal resilience. Pilot trainings will be conducted locally, involving trainers and women entrepreneurs to refine the manual based on practical feedback and ensure its relevance and effectiveness.

JOIN OUR INTERNATIONAL NETWORKING GROUP

Our International Networking Group connects individuals dedicated to improve women’s position in entrepreneurship, creating a community of women entrepreneurs, experts, innovators and adult educators. The members of the Networking Group have the opportunity to connect with each other, join live events organised by the RE-FEM consortium, build relationships, and engage in knowledge-sharing. Whether you’re seeking advice, looking to learn from others’ experiences, or searching for partners for future projects, you will find a supportive environment by joining our LinkedIn group.

Click here to find our LinkedIn Group!

FOLLOW US ON INSTRAGRAM

RE-FEM is now available on Instagram as well! The Instagram page of the project represents a great opportunity to reach more women entrepreneurs who can benefit from the results of the project. You can support the launch of the Instagram page of RE-FEM too by sharing our post and following us for updates!

Click here to reach RE-FEM Instagram!

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RE-FEM Newsletter #4 – December 2024

WELCOME TO THE FOURTH NEWSLETTER OF THE RE-FEM PROJECT!

We are thrilled to have you on board and share our incredible journey to support women entrepreneurs in the post-COVID era.

By signing up for our Newsletter, you can enjoy the following advantages:

Stay updated with the latest developments in female entrepreneurship.
Get inspired by captivating stories and videos.
Access research publications from RE-FEM.
Receive first-hand news about upcoming events.
Gain valuable insights into innovative approaches for female entrepreneurship.

SIGN UP

ABOUT RE-FEM

RE-FEM – ‘Upskilling pathways for REsiliency in the post-Covid era for FEMale Entrepreneurs’ is an Erasmus+ project led by HETFA Research Institute, aiming to empower women entrepreneurs, through need-based training for maintaining resilient businesses in the post-covid era. The project also wants to serve the needs of the trainers and mentors in business support and entrepreneurship working in the field of adult education by providing easily accessible, high quality and transformative training tools.

CHECK OUT OUR LATEST NEWS

About the progress of RE_FEM:

In October 2024, the RE-FEM Training Manual was launched. Currently, we are working on the development of an Online Course aiming to support women entrepreneurs in the post-covid era. Once the setup of the Online Course is ready, it will be available on the RE-FEM Open Education Platform. The Online Course will be launched with training modules and other interesting materials for women entrepreneurs and trainers/lecturers/mentors. The Online Course will improve the access of women entrepreneurs to the specific know-how needed for running a successful enterprise through developing the skills and knowledge of users.

As a next step in the project, we started to focus on the development of policy recommendations. The aim of the Final Evaluation Study and Policy Recommendations developed by the consortium is to offer policy recommendations at national and EU levels. These recommendations aim to stimulate women’s entrepreneurship and address post-COVID challenges, especially for women entrepreneurs in vulnerable situations. Project partners will develop a Final Policy Study, based on the study conducted on the overall state of women’s entrepreneurship in the partner countries, the challenges that women entrepreneurs face, and recent good practices in partner countries. Partners will evaluate the implementation and impact of prior RE-FEM project results, and summarise the expected long term impacts, the established best practices, and the lessons learned throughout the project. The Final Policy Study will be an interesting take-away for anyone interested in the current state of the art of women entrepreneurship in 7 European countries, or in the implementation of projects targeting women entrepreneurs.

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TRAINING MANUAL

The RE-FEM Training Manual is now available on our website! The content of the Training Manual is based on previously held pilot meetings for women entrepreneurs and trainers focusing on women entrepreneurs, organised in each partner country (Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain). During these pilot trainings, the 5 training modules were tested, that compose the structure of the Training Manual. The 5 training modules are the following:

1. Digital Transformation and Digital Readiness

Module 1 explores the importance of digital tools and strategies to prepare businesses for the demands of the digital age.

2. Access to Finance and Innovation

Module 2 examines various ways to access funding and opportunities in both local and global markets.

3. Servitization and Innovation

Module 3 shows the reader how to innovate by transitioning from product-based business models to service-oriented ones.

4. Sustainability in Times of Crisis

From module 4, readers can learn how to build sustainable business practices that can withstand economic and social disruptions.

5. Personal Resilience, Well-being, and Gender Implications of Being a Woman Entrepreneur

Module 5 focuses on developing personal resilience and addressing the unique challenges faced by women in entrepreneurship, including well-being and work-life balance.

The RE-FEM TRAINING MANUAL
is now available on our website!

Presenting RE-FEM Around Europe

RE-FEM at Women Entrepreneurs’ Day

This year, the RE-FEM project participated in the Women Entrepreneurs’ Day event both in Hungary and Romania. The Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania organised the event for the 2nd time, while in Hungary, HÉTFA Research Institute participated as a co-organiser alongside Kata Keveházi, the Hungarian ambassador of WED from Jó-Lét Foundation, BGE Budapest LAB, Dana Kiss from Design Terminal and Zsuzsanna Zsidai from Womazing.eu, hosting special roundtable discussions and workshops.

In Budapest, representing the RE-FEM project, Dr. Katalin Oborni, Senior Project Manager of the Division for International Cooperation at HÉTFA Research Institute, presented the research findings of the RE-FEM project. The panel discussion titled “The Unvarnished Truth – Crises and Coping Strategies” began with Dr. Oborni’s introductory presentation.

Dr. Orsolya Gergely, representing a RE-FEM project partner, Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, joined online the opening of the Hungarian event from Csíkszereda. At the Transylvanian WED, Sapientia also promoted the REFEM project with the aim of highlighting innovative ways to support women in business. Additionally, Katalin Czirjék, founder of the Women Entrepreneurs in Transylvania group and the Romanian ambassador of the RE-FEM project, was also involved in the Hungarian event as a panel speaker to discuss the significant role of informal/formal communities in supporting women entrepreneurs.

Representing RE-FEM in Cadiz

On the 26th of November, the city of Cadiz became the epicentre of reflection and debate on the Blue Economy and the crucial role of women in this field. The Cajasol Foundation hosted the Cadiz Blue Forum 2024, a conference organised under the slogan ‘Women and Blue Economy: Generating Value through Equality’, where experts, researchers, entrepreneurs and institutional leaders met to share experiences and strategies towards a more inclusive and sustainable future. In this context, Nieves García Pereira from Andalucía Emprende presented the European RE-FEM Project, highlighting the project’s commitment to equal opportunities in sectors traditionally dominated by men.

Click here to read more!

Successful Conference on „Women entrepreneurs of the Danube Region”

The conference on the 5th of November, 2024, brought together 80 participants from the business and political sectors from the Danube Region in Zagreb and online. Organized by Priority Area 8 “Competitiveness of Enterprises” of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (Croatian Ministry of Economy and Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism), the event was held in collaboration with the Technology Park Varaždin (Croatia), the International Business Women’s Network (Croatia), and the RE-FEM partner, Regional Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovations – Varna (RAPIV) (Bulgaria), who coordinates PA 8 working group on Female Entrepreneurship.

From panel discussions on digitalization and the circular economy to exploring funding opportunities, the conference fostered meaningful dialogue on overcoming barriers and building resilient networks. Such initiatives are vital for boosting the digital and business skills needed for Industry 4.0 and enhancing female-led ventures throughout the Danube Region.

Click here to find out more about the conference!

Representing RE-FEM in Copenhagen

Dr. Orsolya Gergely from Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania took part in an international conference on gender roles in society in Copenhagen, where she was the keynote speaker presenting RE-FEM’s research results. The conference brought together speakers from five continents, highlighting the global significance of the topic and the different cultural perspectives. The event provided an opportunity for international professional dialogue and contributed to a better understanding of the position of women entrepreneurs. The details of the analysis on digitalization as a resilience strategy for women owned SMEs can be found in the article published by Dr. Orsolya Gergely, Dr. Katalin Oborni and Dr. Sanja Popovic Pantic in the journal Society and Economy.

Motivational Videos

The motivational videos created throughout the project serve the purpose to be educational resources. These videos feature stories and testimonials from women entrepreneurs, presented through structured interviews where speakers share their experiences, motivations, and the challenges they faced, especially during crises like the Covid-19 pandemic. The interviews cover how they overcame these challenges, the support they received, and the solutions they implemented, while also discussing what they would need to better handle future crises. Additionally, the entrepreneurs offer advice to their peers on becoming more resilient. We believe these serve as great examples, from which we can learn. In an educational setting, these Motivational Videos can be used as case-studies.

Click here to find the RE-FEM Motivational Videos!

Our International Networking Group connects individuals dedicated to improve women’s position in entrepreneurship, creating a community of women entrepreneurs, experts, innovators and adult educators. By joining this international networking group you can find new European contacts, share and receive information related to women entrepreneurship and the training of women entrepreneurs. By following the posts in this group, you can be updated about events related to women entrepreneurship, you can get to know best practices, and you can expand your knowledge about the different aspects of women entrepreneurship by watching our short webinar sessions called RE-FEM Talks series.

Click here to join our International Networking Group

From RE-FEM Participant to Award-Winning Entrepreneur:

Emelie Sandelin Named Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Coastal Ostrobothnia

Emelie Sandelin, a young female entrepreneur from the municipality of Malax in Ostrobothnia, Finland, is making waves in her industry. As one of the participants in RE-FEM’s second pilot training on “Digital Transformation and Digital Readiness”, Emelie not only honed her skills but also contributed her insights and experiences as a female entrepreneur in a male-dominated field to the project’s research component. Her dedication and achievements were recently recognized when she was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Coastal Ostrobothnia at an entrepreneurship gala on November 9, 2024.

Click here to read more about Emelie Sandelin’s story!

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RE-FEM Newsletter #5 –

July 2025

WELCOME TO THE FIFTH NEWSLETTER OF THE RE-FEM PROJECT!

We are thrilled to have you on board and share our incredible journey to support women entrepreneurs in the post-COVID era.

By signing up for our Newsletter, you can enjoy the following advantages:

Stay updated with the latest developments in female entrepreneurship.
Get inspired by captivating stories and videos.
Access research publications from RE-FEM.
Receive first-hand news about upcoming events.
Gain valuable insights into innovative approaches for female entrepreneurship.

SIGN UP

ABOUT RE-FEM

READ MORE

ONLINE COURSE IN 9 LANGUAGES

The Online Course of RE-FEM is available on our website in 9 languages: English, Bulgarian, Finnish, Romanian, Slovakian, Spanish, Swedish, Serbian and Hungarian. RE-FEM’s comprehensive online training materials have been developed by the RE-FEM Consortium to empower women entrepreneurs, trainers and educators with practical knowledge and skills. The course is designed to help participants elevate their businesses by addressing key areas such as digitalization, innovation, finance, crisis management and more. Structured into five modules, the curriculum provides targeted insights and tools that women business owners can apply to overcome today’s dynamic market challenges and foster sustainable growth.

Read more

EXPLORE THE MODULES

TRAINING MANUAL

The RE-FEM Training Manual is available on our website! The content of the Training Manual is based on previously held pilot meetings for women entrepreneurs and trainers focusing on women entrepreneurs, organised in each partner country (Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain). During these pilot trainings, the 5 training modules were tested, that compose the structure of the Training Manual.

Access the Training Manual

WEBINAR IN FEBRUARY

Women entrepreneurship, resilience, education and support

The RE-FEM Project Webinar was held on the 18th of February titled „Women entrepreneurship, resilience, education and support”. This webinar brought together researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs from across Europe to explore the challenges and opportunities in women’s entrepreneurship. The event was divided into two key parts, it kicked off with the presentations of the RE-FEM project results and was followed by panel discussions on bridging research with practice and strengthening support systems for women entrepreneurs.

RE-FEM TALKS

The RE-FEM Talks are a series of insightful webinars for the members of the LinkedIn Networking Group of RE-FEM, designed to provide useful and inspiring information for women entrepreneurs, from women entrepreneurs. We had the following guests in our sessions in 2025:

From the Deep Forests to the International Stage: Unlocking AI for Women Entrepreneurs

The RE-FEM Talk series kicked off on the 30th of January with an outstanding webinar, featuring Anna Häggblom, Finnish entrepreneur and AI strategist at Aveo. The webinar titled “From the Deep Forests to the International Stage: Unlocking AI for Women Entrepreneurs” focused on her story about how she became an AI strategist, and on her advices about how women entrpreneurs can benefit from using AI tools. The conversation was moderated by Ann-Sofi Backgren, CEO of Brand-Sofi, one of the partners of the RE-FEM project.

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Women & Sustainability

Kinga Kelemen, founder of the sustainable slow fashion brand Lanelka, shared her entrepreneurial journey and insights on sustainability in business as part of the RE-FEM Talk series, on International Women’s Day, 2025. The conversation was moderated by Orsolya Gergely, PhD, Associate Professor at SAPIENTIA University.

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Cybersecurity in Everyday Life: Stay Safe Online

The third session of the RE-FEM Talk series, titled Cybersecurity in Everyday Life: Stay Safe Online, was successfully held on the 8th of April, 2025. Bibiana Žigová, shared practical guidance and valuable insights on how to safeguard digital environments in the rapidly evolving landscape of cyber threats. Veronika Blizman Servilová, Manager of International Activities from the Slovak Business Agency facilitated this conversation.

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To stay updated about upcoming RE-FEM Talks, join our International Networking Group! This LinkedIn group connects individuals dedicated to improve women’s position in entrepreneurship, creating a community of women entrepreneurs, experts, innovators and adult educators.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN

RE-FEM WORLD CAFÉ EVENTS

As part of the 5th work package of the RE-FEM project, partners organize national-level World Café events to gather insights and recommendations that feed into the project’s final outputs.

The World Café is an interactive discussion format designed to foster meaningful dialogue in a relaxed, informal setting — often structured like small café-style tables – where participants rotate between groups to explore key topics, share experiences, and co-develop ideas. This approach encourages the exchange of diverse perspectives and helps uncover practical solutions and innovative approaches.

Within the RE-FEM project, these World Café events bring together experts, professionals, women entrepreneurs, policymakers, and stakeholders across partner countries. They explore key topics related to the challenges, opportunities, and needs of women entrepreneurs and their mentors and trainers, ensuring that the discussions reflect the diverse realities and experiences within the field.

World Café in Hungary

On the 16th of April, the RE-FEM project kicked off its first World Café event in Budapest. The event brought together professionals relevant to women entrepreneurship, including directors, executives, key decision-makers, public sector representatives involved in relevant policy areas, as well as women entrepreneurs themselves — with the aim of discussing how to better support women entrepreneurs, assess the effectiveness of current policies, and explore potential new initiatives.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT!

World Café in Slovakia

A common theme across all table discussions of the Slovakian World Café event was the need for a more human-centred approach and collaboration. Entrepreneurs and experts emphasised the lack of connection between government support, expert advice, and the real-life situations of women entrepreneurs. Whether it’s returning to work after maternity leave, the need for simpler grant systems, or just the desire not to be alone in the journey, each of these women is looking for meaningful support, not complicated forms.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT!

World Café in Serbia

On 8th May 2025, the Institute Mihailo Pupin (IMP) hosted a World Café event. The event provided a dynamic space for open dialogue between women entrepreneurs and key stakeholders to identify actionable recommendations to enhance the status and support systems for women entrepreneurs in Serbia.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT!

World Café in Spain

As part of the RE-FEM project’s mission to empower women entrepreneurs in the post-COVID era, Andalucía Emprende hosted a successful World Café event in Cádiz, Spain. The gathering, titled “The Resilience of Women-Led Businesses”, brought together a dynamic group of 25 women, including entrepreneurs, trainers, experts and institutional stakeholders, to share their experiences and co-create meaningful solutions.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT!

World Café in Finland

A World Café event was organised in June 2025 in Vaasa, bringing together women entrepreneurs and supporters of inclusive development. One of the participants was Trang Pham, an international business student with a strong interest in digital innovation and women’s empowerment. We had the opportunity to speak with her about her experiences from the event and beyond.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT!

World Café in Romania

A total of 26 participants attended the event, including two national members of the Romanian Parliament (Boglárka Kántor and Éva Andrea Csép), as well as representatives from county and local governments. Among them were a mayor, a deputy mayor, and several women holding representative positions in local and county councils.

Participants also included women entrepreneurs, professionals from higher and adult education, researchers and experts working on related topics, and representatives of several civil society organizations, as well as the regional community of women entrepreneurs.

The discussions were moderated by Dr. Katalin Kinga Székely, Melinda Puskai, Beáta Búzás, and Dr. Orsolya Gergely.

The date for the second Multiplier Event of the RE-FEM project is October 1, 2025. The event will be organised in Seville – but you can join the event online from any part of the world. Follow our website and social media platforms for upcoming information!

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RE-FEM Newsletter #6 – October 2025

Welcome to the final Newsletter of the RE-FEM project!

We arrived at the end of RE-FEM’s journey to support women entrepreneurs in the post-COVID era.

ABOUT RE-FEM

RE-FEM – ‘Upskilling pathways for REsiliency in the post-Covid era for FEMale Entrepreneurs’ is an Erasmus+ project led by HETFA Research Institute, aiming to empower women entrepreneurs, through need-based training for maintaining resilient businesses in the post-covid era. The project also serves needs of the trainers and mentors in business support and entrepreneurship working in the field of adult education by providing easily accessible, high quality and transformative training tools.

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POLICY STUDY ON THE STATE OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN 7 PARTNER COUNTRIES

The RE-FEM Final Policy Study invites all readers to explore the knowledge, experiences, and best practices that shaped three years of work dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs in the post-COVID world.

Developed by the RE-FEM consortium, which brings together eight partners from seven European countries, the study provides a comprehensive and comparative overview of the state of women’s entrepreneurship (WE) across Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Spain. It examines the specific challenges and opportunities faced by women entrepreneurs in these countries, revealing both shared trends and unique national characteristics.

You can access the Final Policy Study by clicking here!

The RE-FEM partnership successfully concluded its journey with the final multiplier event, “Women Entrepreneurs: From Knowledge to Action,” held on 1 October 2025 in Seville. The event took place at the historic Marqueses de La Algaba Palace, and was also streamed online, bringing together a wide audience from across Europe. About 200 participants were present at the event hosted by our partner, Andalúcia Emprende. This closing gathering brought together policymakers, researchers, business support professionals, and women entrepreneurs to reflect on the most relevant topics affecting women entrepreneurs today, and to discuss the project’s outcomes and impact.

You can read about the main take-aways of the Multiplier Event on our website:

READ MAIN TAKE-AWAYS

ONLINE COURSE IN 9 LANGUAGES

The Online Course of RE-FEM is available on our website in 9 languages: English, Bulgarian, Finnish, Romanian, Slovakian, Spanish, Swedish, Serbian and Hungarian. RE-FEM’s comprehensive online training materials have been developed by the RE-FEM Consortium to empower women entrepreneurs, trainers and educators with practical knowledge and skills. The course is designed to help participants elevate their businesses by addressing key areas such as digitalization, innovation, finance, crisis management and more. Structured into five modules, the curriculum provides targeted insights and tools that women business owners can apply to overcome today’s dynamic market challenges and foster sustainable growth. Discover the quiz at the end of the modules: it will help you to assess the knowledge you acquired!

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Explore The Modules!

OPEN EDUCATION PLATFORM

Visit the Open Education Platform on our website to find carefully curated materials regarding women entrepreneurship. The RE-FEM partnership collected useful materials for women entrepreneurs, and trainers/mentors working with women entrepreneurs.

The content available reflects the work carried out between 2022 and 2025 as part of the RE-FEM project, and is designed to offer practical guidance, inspiration, and knowledge related to women entrepreneurship.

To make learning accessible to all, the materials are available in English as well as the languages of our partner countries: Bulgarian, Spanish, Slovak, Hungarian, Serbian, Romanian, Finnish, and Swedish.

Visit the new Open Education Platform

RE-FEM TALK

Watch webinar!

The RE-FEM Talk series was a series of short webinars hosting women entrepreneurs and discovering trending topics regarding women entrepreneurship. The 5 webinar episodes were live streamed on our LinkedIn Networking Group, but they are all available on the YouTube channel of the project.

The RE-FEM Talk “Policy Making with and for Women Entrepreneurs – Lessons from the World Café Events” explored how participatory formats like World Cafés can help shape more inclusive and effective policies for women entrepreneurs across Europe. Featuring insights from Dr. Orsolya Gergely (Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania) and Nieves García Pereira (Andalucía Emprende), and moderated by Dr. Katalin Oborni (HÉTFA), the discussion highlighted key lessons from RE-FEM’s World Café events—emphasising the need for gender-sensitive training, mentoring, and community-building initiatives. The speakers stressed the importance of reshaping public narratives about women entrepreneurs, recognising invisible work, and fostering inclusive policymaking that engages both women and men. The Talk underlined that women entrepreneurs are not only vital drivers of economic growth but also of social innovation, and that open dialogue and early education are essential to achieving lasting equality.

The series were concluded by the last episode titled “Entrepreneurial Education – The RE-FEM Online Course”, and this time our guests were Katalin Oborni, coordinator of the RE-FEM project (HÉTFA Research Institute) and Katarína Gavalcová, Head of International Projects at the Slovak Business Agency. This final episode explored how online education can serve as a meaningful tool to empower women entrepreneurs across Europe, and focused on the structure, development process, and long-term potential of the RE-FEM Online Course.

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