CXID:RELOAD
Driving vision
ERA supports presentation of Mariupol 2030 strategy
Infrastructure Investment
USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) assisted in presenting Mariupol 2030 Strategy to citizens of Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast. The document, developed with the help of the best Ukrainian and foreign experts over 18 months, is purposed to create new opportunities.
USAID Democratic Governance East (DG East) and USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) have supported development of the strategy for two years. Ten working groups developed a plan of changes in the city in the following areas: Clean Environment, Culture and Sport, Economic Transformation, Education and Science, Technologies, Design of the City, Youth Creativity, Functionality, Healthcare and Image of the City.
“The Strategy of Mariupol city until 2030 is a detailed plan to develop the city for the next nine years. The previous strategy until 2021 aimed to ensure sustainability of the city, while the future strategy until 2030 aims to transform the city. From an economic point of view, this means diversification of the economy and development of new high-tech industries. In terms of perception of the city, we will transform the city from industrial to post-industrial. In our view, Mariupol 2030 is a city of youth; it is a city leader; a city where you can both work and relax and have fun; a city that will really be considered a center of culture, sports and tourism at the regional and national levels,” said Deputy Mayor Serhii Orlov.
“Mariupol 2030 Strategy is a vision of our future. It should be applied as a basis of future development. It is based on three main components: activators of economic development, municipal services, and comfort and quality of life. It is a great challenge for all of us to accomplish these tasks. However, I believe that we can build a city by the sea with an ocean of opportunities,” said Mayor Vadym Boichenko.
ERA grantees recognized as best community practices
Increasing Capabilities
USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) facilitated an awards ceremony for finalists in the Best Practices of Local Self-government in 2021 competition organized by the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine.
The competition committee selected 28 winning projects in three areas: Community Cohesion, Organization of the Health Care System at the Local Level in the Context of Health Care Reform, and Implementation of Strategic Development Projects. Six best practices were selected from Donetsk Oblast, two of which are supported by ERA.
Mariupol Business Development Center for Support of Small and Medium Business (SME Support Center) won in the nomination group “City Councils with a Population from 50,000 to 500,000 Citizens” for creation of a sustainable infrastructure system, as well as promotion and support of MSMEs.
The SME Support Center has worked since March 2020 providing business consulting and training services for startup entrepreneurs and helps raise money for development of small business in Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast. In 2021 the center received computers and furniture as a grant from ERA.
“Over the years of SME Support Center operation, more than 120 citizens of Mariupol were trained at the School of Entrepreneurship, and 300 citizens of the city received consulting services on startups or development of business. We are proud of receiving this award, and will continue to develop small business in Mariupol,” said Dmytro Dresviannikov, Executive Director of the SME Support Center.
Startup Center 1991 won second place in the same nomination group for creation of conditions for development and professional growth of youth, as well as implementation of innovative solutions.
Startup Center 1991 is the first IT incubator in eastern Ukraine. Social Boost public organization, in partnership with Mariupol City Council and ERA, coordinated to set up the center in 2019. Over two years of operation, the center has promoted 20 startups, 11 of which continue to work on their projects. The most promising projects have received UAH 300,000 in financial assistance. Two startups entered the market and today their capital is about UAH 2 million.
“The most important component of new project success is comprehensive support from the municipality. One of the key priorities of Mariupol City Council is digital transformation and development of the IT sector. That is why the city is creating the most favorable conditions for development of projects such as Startup Center 1991,” said Viktor Hurskyi, co-founder and CEO of Social Boost.
The teams of Startup Center 1991 and Social Boost have adopted a new format for working with technological projects. Startups are now residents of a venture studio, where they will work for a year on developing their own businesses, searching for investments, and scaling up products.
ERA develops Sea of Azov region export potential
Investment Acceleration
USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) together with Ivan Fedorov, Mayor of Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast presented the first Investment Directory of business profiles of Melitopol companies for international partners. The directory includes information about 22 companies in Melitopol; over time it will be updated with contacts from other manufacturers.
Melitopol was also visited by Joe Deacon, Director of Distag QSC Ltd., Ireland, which manufactures agricultural machinery and buys spare parts from various countries around the world. Deacon visited more than ten local producers to learn about their production facilities. This visit was organized by ERA and the Melitopol Development Agency through the FAME (Farm Machinery, Automotive Parts, and Machine Building Enterprises) initiative implemented by ERA to develop relevant companies in the region.
ERA collaborated with the Melitopol Development Agency to create a profile portfolio of Melitopol manufacturing companies while attracting potential buyers in Europe for specific parts and solutions.
The city of Melitopol was chosen to pilot this initiative due to its strong manufacturing heritage and base of industrial enterprises, as well as light engineering companies.
In 2022, ERA will focus on training and building the capacity of eastern Ukrainian enterprises to help manufacturers systematically improve their ability to respond to the needs of international customers. According to ERA experts, this could shorten the supply chain in Europe heavily affected by COVID-19 related crises and disruptions of goods and supply chains from Asia.
ERA holds forum on social entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility
Increasing Capabilities
USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) in partnership with NGOs SiLab and Kharkiv Professional Development Foundation organized a two-day hybrid online/in-person forum on social entrepreneurship.
Over 150 participants attended the event, including social entrepreneurs who are successfully developing businesses in different regions of Ukraine, representatives of local authorities, representatives of ERA, international organizations, and funds that invest in the development of social entrepreneurship in Ukraine. Approximately 100 participants participated in the forum sessions online.
The aim of the forum was to identify priority vectors of social entrepreneurship ecosystem development in the eastern regions of Ukraine.
Experts from Germany, Latvia, and Georgia spoke about the development of social entrepreneurship in their countries. According to the experts, there are now more than 13.5 million people working in social enterprises in the European Union, and 17 EU countries grant the status of the social entrepreneur.
In Latvia, popular legislation supports social entrepreneurship. Diana Lapkis from Latvia, chairman of the board of the New Door accelerator for social entrepreneurs, said that at first social entrepreneurs were registered just like other enterprises but a commission eventually decided to give them the specific status of the social entrepreneur.
In Germany, 90 percent of social entrepreneurs must attract external funding (usually from the government), and 60 percent need support outside support in legal matters. Social entrepreneurs in Germany are highly regarded by the public and considered social innovators who influence positive change and the future. They say they need support from the state, not regulation. However, in Germany, social entrepreneurs do not have preferential status.
Education in the field of social entrepreneurship was also discussed during the forum sessions, including topics such as how to learn through accelerators, incubators, school education, and universities.
At a fair of social enterprises held during the forum, 30 social entrepreneurs presented and sold their products, talked about their activities, and met new partners and experts to promote their ideas and projects. They make craft products (cheese, tea, confectionery, wooden souvenirs), teach young people creative entrepreneurship (making T-shirts, sweatshirts, souvenirs), and employ people with disabilities.
Topics on the second day of the forum included corporations and social enterprises, corporate social responsibility, opportunities for win-win cooperation, and how to attract resources for the development of social enterprises. The speakers emphasized that sharing success stories of implemented projects inspires others and creates synergies, collaborations, and partnerships. They advised using a variety of different communication channels to promote ideas and initiatives.
The forum also discussed how to attract resources for the development of social entrepreneurship. Participants presented their experience of raising money through crowdfunding, grant programs, and loans.
ERA presents new “Cxid: Reload” communication campaign
Driving vision
USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) presented a new communication campaign, “Cxid: Reload”. The aim of the campaign is to help support citizens from eastern Ukraine who are seeking to reload (or reboot) the way their region is perceived today for the sake of success and prosperity tomorrow.
Since 2018, ERA has been aiming to break stereotypes by empowering eastern Ukrainians to lead their communities’ transformation, establish new livelihoods and new businesses in promising and growing economic sectors, expand to new markets across Ukraine and beyond, and promote inspiring stories of successful individuals, businesses and communities that help change views about the opportunities offered in eastern Ukraine.
The region has a rich historical and cultural background based in part on its industrial tradition. Building on this tradition, it is quickly developing new, innovative ecosystems and emerging knowledge economy business sectors, which in turn is changing (or reloading) the mindset of the population, especially young people and their view of the region as a viable and exciting place to live, work, study and raise a family. Unfortunately, studies demonstrate that many Ukrainians continue to associate eastern Ukraine with war and cities based on heavy industry.
This event was intended to help dispel this stereotype. ERA has invited people from different regions of eastern Ukraine representing different ages and professions to breathe life into the Cxid: Reload campaign. “Reload” for them means the launch of a new way of thinking.
“We’re proud to see how our support for eastern Ukraine has started to pay big dividends in kick-starting sectors like IT, innovative manufacturing, and biofuels. It’s exciting to see the dynamism of these new businesses and the resilience of communities that are really starting to organize themselves around common objectives and smart investments. There is more to do, of course, but we’re seeing really positive trends and will continue to back them,” said James Hope, USAID Mission Director for Ukraine.
The event gathered well-known politicians, athletes, cultural figures, and partners and beneficiaries of ERA. Apart from James Hope, USAID Mission Director for Ukraine, the key speakers were Guy Kawasaki, bestselling author, legendary brand evangelist – Apple, Canva, Mercedes-Benz; Mykhailo Fedorov, Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine; Oksana Lyniv, international orchestra conductor; Zhan Beleniuk, Olympic gold medalist; Peter Dickinson, founder & editor of Business Ukraine, and Atlantic Council Ukraine editor; Maksym Krypak, Paralympic champion as well as partners and beneficiaries of ERA – successful and inspired business representatives.