Between 2020 and 2024, the transnational IMPACT consortium brought together nearly 200 new and experienced entrepreneurs from many countries to collaborate across borders. Led by Civitta Ukraine and co-funded by the EU’s Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme, the project overcame major challenges like Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine to foster innovation, resilience, and international growth.
The IMPACT consortium brought together seven organisations from Ukraine, Romania, Spain, Greece, Italy and the Netherlands, each committed to empowering entrepreneurship through cross-border collaboration.
174% and 97% of the project target were registered in the EYE matching IT tool, thus contributing substantially to the “richness” of people ready to be matched.
The key to success in overcoming the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 and the full-scale Russian war in Ukraine with two partners being from Ukraine, included accessing the strengths of each partner and supporting them in implementing the project building on their strengths as well as continuous mutual support between the partners, which resulted in 26 intra-consortium exchanges.
Ukraine NEs
The IMPACT Consortium continued to foster entrepreneurship and make an impact even during incredibly challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic almost fully stopped the relationship building, and Russia's full-scale invasion impacted not just our two Ukrainian partners but the entire consortium. Ukrainian organisations were no longer able to build exchanges with host entrepreneurs, so other partners stepped up to support them by matching Ukrainian new entrepreneurs (NEs). Thanks to the collaboration and synergies within the consortium, we achieved 26 intra-consortium exchanges, contributing to a total of 190 successfully completed exchanges.
As coordinator of the EYE team within the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), I see every day how Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) is a life-changer for its participants: it strengthens entrepreneurs' resilience and equips them with skills for the future. It also creates links for further collaboration and creates lasting impact for the entrepreneurs involved.
For this reason, I am proud that the EYE support to Ukrainian entrepreneurs continues with currently 5 ongoing transnational projects which can help rebuilding Ukraine, at individual entrepreneur level – now and in the future.
