During this initial stage, the focus was on the impact of entrepreneurship, covering important topics such as mission, vision, and social impact. Furthermore, some of our participants have shared their impressions of the first module. Відгуки наших учасників Eugeniya Aratovska, No Waste Ukraine "The first module was an opportunity for us to conduct another brainstorming of ideas and clearly focus on the main KPIs of the project. We are already actively communicating with other participants on the subject of cooperation, we have had key meetings with mentors. The effect of meetings is that you gain X5 speed, your scaling horizons increase, glass ceilings disappear, and your professional circle of communication increases. We are entering the second module with a new concept of sorting stations, so every interaction in the program now is an opportunity to build a permanent basis for our idea in the future." Anastasiia Bytko (Krylova), Vilni "Despite the fact that we have some experience in social entrepreneurship, we found the first module informative and useful. Also, this week we had an introductory meeting with a mentor who immediately gave us useful advice on increasing sales in the B2B segment. We are confident that the experience and expertise of our mentor will help our team achieve significant results upon completion of the project." Impact Business Acceleration Program, initiated by Impact Force in partnership with SILab Ukraine, is powered by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and the national project Diia.Business.

😎 SILab Ukraine and partners launch an express online incubator ⠀ SILab Ukraine and the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund, with the support of the 1to4 Foundation (Switzerland), are launching an express online incubator for the creation and development of social enterprises. Selected graduates will have the opportunity to receive social investments in the form of smart grants from 2,000 to 10,000 euros! 🥳 ⏰ June 07-29, 2022 💡 Who can participate? The incubation program is designed for initiative groups or registered organizations that have a clear idea of creating a social business or have been testing it for six months. Up to 20 teams will be selected to participate in the program. The main criteria for selecting participants are: • the presence of a clear idea or plan to create a social enterprise • the presence of a team (minimum of two people who will participate in the program) • relevance of the planned activity to the challenges of our time • the presence of initial sales or testing of the product/service • the availability of a vision for the main channels of product/service distribution • realism in implementing the idea • ability to attend online sessions (100%) Participants who have: • previous experience in entrepreneurial activities • experience in implementing social initiatives aimed at solving specific social problems in the community will receive additional points. ⠀ 👉🏼 Learning format: • seven three-hour online lecture sessions • weekly individual online consultations for teams with mentors and experts • completion of homework assignments aimed at preparing business plans for social enterprises after each session • presentation of the developed business plan during the final pitch session ⠀ 📍 Participation conditions: • each enterprise must be represented by a team of at least two people who participate in the program on a permanent basis • confirmation of readiness by all team members to attend 100% of the sessions and complete homework assignments.

On April 13th at 14:00 CET, the Online Demo Day of social start-ups will take place! During the event, more than 20 teams will present their business ideas and solutions aimed at solving social, cultural, economic, and environmental problems. Join in to learn more about new ideas of social enterprises, support the incubator participants, and understand the format of quality presentation of your own business idea. April 13, 2023 at 14:00 CET (the event language is Ukrainian with an English translator). The Online Demo Day is the final stage of our incubation program for creating and developing social enterprises, which has been running since March 9th. The express online incubator covered all the crucial topics for novice social entrepreneurs and provided necessary mentorship support. Our partners from Ukrainian and international organizations will join the event, and they will form a selective committee that will choose up to 5 teams for further collaboration with the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund based on their participation in the program and presentation of their social enterprise. These teams will have the opportunity to receive up to 7,000 euros of financial support for launching and developing their enterprises. The financial support will be provided in the form of smart grants from the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund and within the "Collaborate for Impact" project, which is implemented thanks to the financial support of the European Union and cooperation with EVPA.

WHAT: Silab Ukraine and the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund are launching an express online incubator to create and develop social enterprises. WHEN: March 9 - April 13, 2023 WEBINAR: On February 8 at 16:00, we presented the program and answered all questions regarding application submission and participation requirements, as well as opportunities to receive up to 7,000 euros for the development of your social venture. We recommend watching the webinar before submitting an application as it will help improve your proposal. PARTICIPANTS: The incubation program is designed for initiative groups or registered organizations with a clear idea of creating a social business or piloting one. The enterprise's activity should be carried out in Ukraine. Up to 20 teams will be selected to participate in the program. Application deadline for incubator participation: February 22, 2023 (23:00) Submit an application Main criteria for participant selection: Clear idea or plan of creating a social enterprise Team availability (minimum of two people participating in the program) Significance of social impact Initial sales or testing of product/service Vision of primary product/service distribution channels Realistic implementation of the idea Ability to attend online sessions (100%) Additional points will be given to participants with: Previous entrepreneurship experience Experience in implementing social initiatives aimed at solving specific social problems in the community Learning format: Eight 3.5-hour online lectures in Ukrainian Weekly individual online consultations with mentors and experts for teams Completion of homework assignments aimed at preparing business plans for social enterprises after each session Presentation of developed business plans during the final pitch session On February 08 at 4:00 PM, SILab Ukraine will hold a webinar during which interested participants will have the opportunity to ask clarifying questions about the application form and learn about the detailed program and expected results of the Incubation program. Registration for the webinar is mandatory. Opportunities for financial support for program graduates: Based on the participation of teams in the Incubation program and the business plans presented by them, up to 5 projects will be selected by an independent expert committee to receive financial support of up to 7000 euros for launching their businesses. Conditions of participation: Each enterprise must be represented by a team of at least two individuals who participate in the program on a regular basis. All team members must demonstrate their commitment to attending 100% of the sessions and completing all homework assignments in full. Application deadline: February 22, 2023 (23:00) About the organizers: SILab Ukraine is an organization created to build an ecosystem for the development of social entrepreneurship and social innovation as tools for shaping a culture of social responsibility in society. The Ukrainian Social Venture Fund (USVF) was created to invest in and support social enterprises whose business models are based on achieving social, environmental, and economic change. A social enterprise is a representative/operator of the social economy. Its main goal is to achieve social impact, not to generate profit for owners or shareholders. The activities of such an enterprise are focused primarily on the sale of services or goods to achieve social goals. The term "social enterprise" is used to cover types of businesses that: • are aimed at the work integration of vulnerable populations • aim to develop depressed areas • provide social services • develop areas such as sports, ecology, and culture.

Ukrainian NGOs Impact Force and SILab Ukraine launch business accelerator to strengthen Ukraine's economy Ukrainian NGOs Impact Force and SILab Ukraine, with the support of numerous Ukrainian and international partners, are launching the Impact Business accelerator for Ukrainian entrepreneurs seeking to contribute to the recovery of Ukraine's most conflict-affected economic sectors. We presented the Impact Business accelerator on February 14th at 2:00 PM and recommend watching the recording to learn everything about the application form, program participation requirements, and the opportunity to receive up to €20,000 to develop your business. Impact Business, presented during the discussion "The Movement of Social Innovation as the Key to Fair, Sustainable and Equitable Recovery of Ukraine" at the World Economic Forum on January 17th, is an in-depth acceleration program designed for active companies registered in Ukraine that will contribute to Ukraine's post-war recovery and create a positive and long-lasting social impact with an estimated increase in Ukraine's GDP of over $250 million over five years. This pilot program will support 25 Ukrainian businesses operating in agriculture, energy, infrastructure, healthcare, cybersecurity, and other sectors that seek to integrate social impact as part of their strategy. The main goal of the pilot project is to create a powerful ecosystem that will encourage more socially-driven businesses to reinvest profits in creating positive social change, as well as contribute to the development of the social impact economy in post-war Ukraine. By joining the Impact Business acceleration program and meeting its criteria, successful applicants will gain access to live lectures, workshops, and research focused on integrating social impact into their strategy, as well as general business growth topics, and receive advisory support from world-renowned experts, coaches, and mentors, access to investors and global technology resources.    At the end of the program, the two businesses with the best results will have the opportunity to receive up to €20,000 in financial support for their team. Financial support will be provided in the form of smart grants from the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund and as part of the "Collaborate for Impact" project, implemented with the financial support of the European Union and in cooperation with EVPA. "The full-scale Russian aggression has changed our vision of the role of business in society. It is already clear that business cannot operate under the old rules: sell a product - make a profit. Ukraine needs to be rebuilt, and therefore business must become responsible and not only generate profit but also bring about qualitative changes. Social impact should be one of the key indicators of the development of every business. The recovery of Ukraine in various sectors will require rapid innovative solutions with a significant social impact. That is why an important component of the acceleration program will be a focus on social impact, the technology of its formation, and measurement," - Olena Kalibaba, co-founder of SILab Ukraine and CEO of the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund. The potential of the Ukrainian social entrepreneurship sector is very significant, as volunteering and social entrepreneurship are in the blood of Ukrainians. Ukraine is a kind of hive where the extraordinary self-organization of people amazes the world, and horizontal ties make it possible to quickly and effectively solve complex tasks of unprecedented scale. This was evident both during the Maidan and after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. "We strive to nurture leaders of change and build an ecosystem that strives for a better future for Ukraine. By launching Impact Business, we want to support a new generation of entrepreneurs in Ukraine, promote the development of social entrepreneurship, and help social innovators navigate the challenges and make their impact louder and more visible," - Nina Levchuk, co-founder of the NGO Impact Force. DEADLINE: February 22, 2023

While we conduct the accelerator, establish partnerships and create new opportunities for social entrepreneurs, our humanitarian initiative Shelter Ukraine continues its activities and has not stopped for a day! We remind you that the Shelter Ukraine initiative is implemented by SILab Ukraine, Teple Misto, VPLYV and Valores Foundation (Poland). The purpose of our activity is to help Ukrainians who suffered as a result of russia's war against Ukraine. Another of our partners within this initiative was the "Helping Palms of Nikopol" foundation. For more than half a year, the team has been taking care of people from the regions most devastated by the war. As part of the Shelter Ukraine initiative, large families living in Nikopol received humanitarian aid in the form of children's household chemicals. Washing powder, dishwashing detergents, wet and dry wipes, toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste, soap, and shower gel are basic necessities that are in short supply in front-line cities today. We are grateful to our partners from the "Helping Hands of Nikopol" foundation, that despite all the difficulties and barbaric actions of the occupiers, they continue their activities and help the affected Ukrainians. #ShelterUkraineCampaign #ChildFundDeutschland #AktionsbündnisKatastrophenhilfe #EmergencyRelief #HumanitarianAid #SILabUkraine

What better way to start the day than with an impact breakfast? A hot cup of coffee, fresh croissants and inspiring impact stories from our #Collaborate4Impact project. Participants got to taste the impacts of our project countries (dried fruits from Armenia, jams from Ukraine, apple chips from Georgia) and enjoyed handmade gifts from social entrepreneurs in the region. Participation in Impact Week'22 was made possible thanks to the financial support of the European Union and the “Collaborate for Impact” project, which is implemented in partnership with EVPA.

WHAT: SIlab Ukraine and the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund, with the support of the 1to4 Foundation (Switzerland), are launching an express online accelerator to enhance the capacity and development of social enterprises. WHEN: October 17 - November 17, 2022 PARTICIPANTS: The acceleration program is designed for existing active social enterprises that have been operating in the market for at least 12 months, have a clearly defined product/service, and generate income from their activities. Up to 30 teams will be selected to participate in the program. Main selection criteria for participants: Registered legal entity The social enterprise has been operating in the market for at least 12 months and generates income Presence of a team Presence of a clear business model Clear understanding of the social impact of the business and beneficiaries Potential for growth Ability to attend online sessions (100%) Innovative solutions and/or those that meet current challenges will be an additional advantage. Learning format: Eight online lecture sessions lasting 3 hours Weekly individual online consultations for teams with mentors and experts Completion of homework assignments aimed at mastering the material and applying acquired knowledge in practice Presentation of the social enterprise during the final pitch session. Opportunities for financial support for program graduates: Upon completion of the acceleration program, graduates will have the opportunity to receive financial support of up to 10,000 euros through a grant competition from the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund, which is implemented as part of the European Fund for Southeast Europe Development Facility (EFSE Development Facility) project with financial support from the European Union. Training Schedule: Session 1. October 18, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Session 2. October 20, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Session 3. October 25, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Session 4. October 27, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Session 5. November 1, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Session 6. November 3, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Session 7. November 8, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Session 8. November 10, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm DemoDay: November 17 Main topics of the program: Access to international markets Financial peculiarities in international markets How to change marketing strategy in market conditions Changes in Ukrainian legislation regarding doing business in times of war Business scaling Access to finance Participation requirements: Each enterprise must be represented by a team of two people who will participate in the program on a regular basis. All team members must confirm their readiness to attend 100% of the sessions and complete homework assignments in full. Deadline: October 13 at 23:59. Submit your application by completing the application form. *** The organizers reserve the right not to explain or comment on the reasons for rejecting applicants after the selection process. About the organizers: SILab Ukraine is an organization created to build an ecosystem for the development of social entrepreneurship and social innovation as tools for shaping a culture of social responsibility in society. The Ukrainian Social Venture Fund (USVF) is created to invest in and support social enterprises whose business models are based on achieving social, environmental, and economic changes. 1to4 is a Swiss non-profit providing vital seed capital and support to early-stage social businesses throughout the developing world.

In the framework of the initiative Shelter Ukraine, we helped more than 1400 Ukrainian families with children. Thanks to Kinderhilfswerk ChildFund Deutschland and AktionsbündnisKatastrophenhilfe. After all, it is thanks to their financial support that we are able to pay enough attention to helping children who suffered from the full-scale invasion. You can help them too, donate now: https://shelterukraine.org/donors/

The story from the video hits right in the feels. After all, we know that today hundreds of thousands of people have one dream for everyone, but only a few can formulate and say it aloud. Everything about it is terrible, even its very existence is the greatest pain of Ukrainians. This should never have happened, but today it is our reality. Tetiana and her family received help from the Shelter Ukraine initiative. Together with our partners, the regional children's organization "Association of Dnipro Scouts "SKIF", we directed the involved charitable financial support to the arrangement of accommodations for IDPs who arrived in the Novooleksandrivka community. Now people who have lost their own home can find shelter thanks to Shelter Ukraine. We are grateful to our partners for their continuous assistance to the affected Ukrainians. Together to the victory!

We are grateful to our partners ChildFund Deutschland and Aktionsbündnis Katastrophenhilfe,1to4 Foundation, Razom For Ukraine, who supported or continue to support the initiative financially! Thanks to Fundacja Valores, VPLYV and Teple Misto. Together we continue to implement Shelter Ukraine and help civilian Ukrainians for 6 months. If you want to help us provide shelters, food and medicine to Ukrainians, donate now: https://cutt.ly/0LRPMSF

"Harmony" for everyone: how a shelter in Ivano-Frankivsk became a home for war victims ⠀ The shelter «Harmony» in Ivano-Frankivsk functioned as a shelter for victims of domestic violence before the start of the full-scale invasion. Since March 2022, 82 Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homes due to the war have found refuge here. ⠀ 62 women and 14 children of various ages from the Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia regions received help and refuge in the space created by the public organization "Cultural and Educational Society Ukrainian Youth Group". ⠀ "We created a shelter on the premises where there was the sports hall once. We made small cosmetic repairs, installed boilers for heating water, put shower cabins, equipped the kitchen and created conditions for the comfort of people with disabilities. We see a great need for shelters for those who were forced to leave other regions of Ukraine. We will gladly share our experience on how to do it quickly and efficiently and on who to turn to in case of any problems," says Andrii Markiv, head of the organization. ⠀ With the support from the #ShelterUkraineCampaign program, bunk beds, kitchen furniture, mattresses, bedding, household appliances (microwaves, electric stoves, and electric kettles), hygiene products, and household chemicals were purchased for the shelter rooms in «Harmony». The shelter's electricity costs were also covered thanks to grant funds. ⠀ Now, thanks to activists and benefactors, the «Harmony» shelter has a library, fairy-tale therapy classes, various pieces of training (providing first aid, acquiring teamwork skills), and one can also get legal advice. You can help Ukrainians too, read more here.