BSI_4Women Pilot Action: Empowering Refugee Women Entrepreneurs in Estonia

The Estonian pilot of the BSI_4Women project, implemented by Tehnopol Startup Incubator, offered a comprehensive pathway for refugee and migrant women to turn their ideas into functioning businesses. It combined targeted outreach, a short pre-incubation course, a six-month incubation phase, and post-incubation mentoring and workshops. The activities, running from August 2024 to June 2025, provided multilingual resources, personalised mentoring, practical workshops, and opportunities to present ideas publicly. Five participants joined the full incubation track, four successfully completed it, and two continued into post-incubation support.

The programme began with extensive promotion launched in June 2024, supported by Tehnopol’s online platforms in Estonian, English, and Russian, and by social media channels, newsletters, and startup events such as Latitude59 and the Female Founders Summit. Outreach targeted communication networks popular among the Ukrainian community in Estonia, ensuring accessibility and engagement from the start.
A two-day pre-incubation training held on 27–28 August 2024 marked the first practical step. Out of 35 applicants, 25 were selected and 16 attended the sessions, which introduced the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, ideation, and market understanding. This stage helped participants refine their ideas and prepare for the six-month incubation programme that followed.

The incubation phase (October 2024 – March/April 2025) was built on the joint BSI_4Women framework and combined structured training, mentoring, and individual support. Five participants joined the programme, all of whom had completed pre-incubation. The selection criteria prioritised motivation, potential, and readiness to adapt their ideas to the Estonian market. The cohort reflected a variety of small-scale and product-oriented business ideas, demonstrating the diversity of ambitions within the refugee community.

The training cycle included six core workshops, one additional session, and two post-incubation workshops, all complemented by one-to-one mentoring.

• Business Model and Team Workshop (30 October 2024): covered startup’s business model and team strategies.
• Product Development Workshop (13 November 2024): covered product’s prototype and MVP strategies.
• Marketing Workshop (4 December 2024): covered startup’s early days marketing strategies.
• Finance Workshop (22 January 2025): covered startup finances, valuation, and funding strategies.
• Pitching Workshop (5 and 13 March 2025): focused on creating compelling business pitches.
• Legal Workshop (12 March 2025): addressed common legal challenges faced by new founders.
• How to Set Up and Run a Business in Estonia (31 March 2025): explained administrative and legal procedures for company registration.
• Sales Workshop (17 April 2025): guided participants in building client relationships and expanding sales channels.
• Investor Readiness Workshop (13 May 2025): prepared participants for early-stage investment discussions.

Each participant worked with a key mentor, receiving tailored guidance on developing business models, financial planning, and marketing strategies. Two participants received legal advice, and two others benefited from financial and marketing consultations. The combination of personal mentoring and access to Tehnopol’s online and in-person resources created a supportive, practice-oriented learning environment.
Participants developed a range of innovative business ideas:

• a healthy snack brand based on natural dried fruit;
• a media platform for Ukrainian women living abroad;
• a holistic beauty product line based on natural cosmetics;
• an educational concept;
• a line of handmade beeswax-based products.

The Regional Demo Day on 13 March 2025 in Tallinn marked the highlight of the programme. Participants presented their business ideas before a panel of mentors and experts, receiving constructive feedback and exposure to the Estonian startup ecosystem. Two business ideas were recognized as the most promising: Media Platform for Ukrainian Women Abroad and line of handmade beeswax-based products. Both projects demonstrated clear social impact, strong market potential, and professional presentation.
Following the regional event, the Media Platform for Ukrainian Women Abroad was represented Estonia at the Transnational Demo Day held on 21 May 2025 in Jasionka, Poland. The project’s founder presented her idea on the international stage, showcasing Estonia’s contribution to empowering refugee women entrepreneurs.

The post-incubation phase continued to build participants’ confidence and business readiness. Two women took part in follow-up mentoring, legal and financial consultations, and workshops focused on sales and investor relations. They also gained access to Tehnopol’s broader network, opening opportunities for collaboration, funding, and participation in future entrepreneurship programmes.
Tehnopol’s collaboration with national and local stakeholders proved crucial. Participants were introduced to organisations such as the Estonian Refugee Council, the Johannes Mihkelson Centre, Eesti Töötukassa, and municipal business support offices, which offered continued guidance after the programme. They also received referrals to national schemes such as the Eesti Töötukassa self-employment grant and local entrepreneurship support mechanisms. The programme made active use of Startup Estonia’s resources, the eesti.ee e-government portal, and Tehnopol’s internal mentoring materials.

The impact of the Estonian pilot was notable. Participants reported increased confidence, a stronger understanding of Estonian business regulations, and improved entrepreneurial skills in areas such as finance, legal compliance, and marketing. They valued the personal attention from mentors, the practical approach of workshops, and the chance to network with regional stakeholders. Peer review partners from Poland and Lithuania rated the Estonian programme as very well structured and effectively implemented, particularly appreciating its mentoring model, clear communication, and alignment with participants’ real-life contexts. To strengthen future implementation, Tehnopol recommends ensuring full readiness of all programme tools and materials before launch, introducing a team-building phase early in the recruitment process, and offering dual tracks to accommodate both micro-enterprises and scalable startups.

The programme’s success lies in its tangible outcomes: new business ideas, enhanced entrepreneurial competence, and stronger integration into Estonia’s innovation ecosystem. Beyond technical knowledge, participants gained a sense of empowerment and belonging, proving that entrepreneurship can be a powerful tool for both economic and social integration. The Estonian experience confirms that a combination of pre-incubation, structured workshops, continuous mentoring, and post-programme support provides an effective pathway for refugee women to move from ideas to action. It demonstrates how local innovation ecosystems can foster inclusion while benefiting from the creativity and resilience of newcomers. By merging practical guidance with a supportive environment, Tehnopol helped participants not only build their businesses but also find confidence, purpose, and a renewed sense of possibility in their new home.

Photo in the header: A two-day pre-incubation training held on 27–28 August 2024, © Aivi Varik, 2024.

Programme Manual Online

Choose