URCS holds specialized workshop for participants of REDpreneur.UA program
The Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) held a specialized workshop in Kyiv to teach teams basic marketing and financial skills to launch social enterprises and begin working with mentors within the REDpreneur.UA program.
"Social entrepreneurship at the level of Ukrainian Red Cross organizations as one of the components of the REDpreneur.UA Program demonstrates how social enterprises can become an integral part of humanitarian aid, solving key social problems where ordinary businesses often do not have the opportunity to work. REDpreneur.UA not only teaches, but also provides practical assistance to teams in overcoming all the challenges that may arise when launching social businesses," the society said on its website.
The workshop presented business ideas for social entrepreneurship that the URCS teams are going to implement within the project, including: a social laundry (ensuring access of IDPs and other vulnerable groups to basic services); an innovative space for psychosocial support (ensuring accessible and inclusive services to improve the well-being and mental health of children and their parents); a social clothing store (ensuring affordable clothing for low-income groups), and others.
The first day of the workshop focused on creating a value proposition and a business model. Participants learned to define values for their clients and find effective solutions to attract support.
On the second day, the teams examined the legal and financial aspects of social entrepreneurship. They received advice from financial experts on entrepreneurship in wartime, and taxation specifics for non-profit organizations.
URCS expects that with the support of experienced mentors and access to specialized consultations, each team of participants will be able to realize their potential to the fullest. As stated, the participants had previously completed an online academy, where they gained knowledge on the basics of business planning, financial management, and marketing strategies for social enterprises. The program also included strategic meetings with experts from the Austrian Red Cross and representatives of the regional branches of the URCS, during which they discussed compliance with requirements and rules, planning next steps, and grant funding requirements.
REDpreneur.UA is an international franchise for entrepreneurship development, which the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, along with the Austrian Red Cross and the Neighbour in Need Foundation (Austria), launched in 2024 as part of a global initiative to support socially responsible entrepreneurship and economic resilience of vulnerable groups.
The program is being implemented in Ukraine from September 2024 to December 2025.
It provides financial grants, coaching, and mentoring support tailored to the needs of Ukraine. The main goal of the program is to become a business incubation center for social entrepreneurship in Ukraine, which will help create financially sustainable business models that can support the local economy and long-term stability.
