On May 11, in cooperation with the Reform team under the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine (MEU), the USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) held the 13th online dialogue of the “Support for Business in Wartime: Relocation and Recovery” platform, which gathered 60 business representatives.
Oleksii Nazarenko, a representative of the Senior Expert Service (SES) under the German Economic Foundation for International Cooperation, spoke about the advice and mentoring support his organization provides to businesses in times of war. SES a leading German organization that brings together experienced professionals and helps Ukrainian companies in technology, investment, marketing, and development. Every year, the organization implements 2,000 projects around the world, with about 100 of these in Ukraine. Now, due to the war, they are ready to consider an unlimited number of applications from Ukrainian businesses, where Ukrainian entrepreneurs will be able to connect with world-class experts who help both micro businesses and corporations.
Any company from Ukraine (except for defense, chemicals, and start-ups) can apply to the organization for consulting assistance. Experts in more than 500 professions can provide professional advice, withthese consultation services provided both on and offline,free of charge.
“To get a consultation, you need to fill in an application and describe the problem you want to solve. The process of finding experts can take from two weeks to two months. For example, if a business wants to enter a new market in Europe, an expert can be offered in two days. If a business needs to optimize a technical process in production on a unique machine, finding an expert may take longer. Some businesses need several mentors at the same time, so they work in cooperation to fully meet the entrepreneur’s needs,” Nazarenko said.
You can apply for advice from the Senior Expert Service by writing to biloylianna@gmail.com.
Entrepreneurs who have previously received consultations shared their experience of working with SES. Iryna Sokur, director of the Kherson Regional Oncology Center, shared how the consultations helped improve conditions for patients and staff. Vasyl Voloshynov, director of “New Vasiuki” Odesa Ethnopark, also spoke about working with the Service’s mentors, which helped expand the hotel business and attract more customers to visit the park.
During the event, the participants asked about the list of experts available, how to get mentoring assistance in several areas, how many times they can apply, the possibility of joining the Service, and how Ukrainians in Germany can get advice.