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RE-FEM Newsletter #2 – December 2023

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!