Road to entrepreneurship: how BSI_4Women turned a regional challenge into a transnational solution

When Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine triggered one of the largest refugee crises in Europe since the Second World War, countries across the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) faced an unprecedented social and economic challenge. By mid‑2022, millions of people had fled Ukraine, with women and children representing the vast majority of refugees. Many of these women arrived with professional experience, business ideas and strong motivation, yet encountered systemic barriers preventing them from becoming economically independent. Limited access to labour markets, language and cultural obstacles, unfamiliar legal frameworks, lack of networks and financing, and fragmented support systems made entrepreneurship an especially difficult path to pursue.

The BSI_4Women project was created precisely in response to this challenge. Supported by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, the project recognised that traditional social assistance and short term employment measures were not sufficient. What was needed was a long term, structured and scalable solution that would empower refugee and migrant women to transform their skills and ideas into viable businesses benefiting not only the women themselves, but also the host regions and their economies.

A challenge too complex for one country to solve alone

From the outset, BSI_4Women acknowledged that no single country or organisation could address this challenge independently. The refugee situation unfolded across borders, while national legal systems, labour markets and support ecosystems differed significantly. This complexity made transnational cooperation not just valuable, but essential.

The project brought together seven partners from seven Baltic Sea Region countries—Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway—supported by 13 associated organisations, including regional authorities, universities, women’s business networks, municipalities and business support organisations. Each partner contributed complementary expertise: experience in startup incubation, refugee integration, innovation ecosystems, policy development and regional development. Through joint development, joint implementation, joint staffing and joint financing, the partnership created an integrated response to a shared regional challenge.

The BSI_4Women solution: an incubation programme

At the heart of the project lies the BSI_4Women incubation programme for refugee and migrant women, supported by a comprehensive set of tools, materials and a digital platform. Rather than offering a one size fits all approach, the programme was designed as a flexible yet structured pathway, adaptable to different regional contexts while maintaining a shared transnational framework.

The incubation programme guides participants through the full entrepreneurial journey. It begins with startup idea scouting and recruitment, using jointly developed criteria and tools that take into account the specific situation of refugee women. This is followed by soft‑landing activities, addressing legal, cultural and linguistic barriers and helping participants navigate the business environment of their host country. The core incubation phase focuses on business development, including mentoring, individual incubation plans, expert consultations, workshops and market validation. Finally, post‑incubation support helps the most promising startups access networks, investors, demo days and further growth opportunities.

Crucially, the programme does not operate in isolation. It is embedded in a broader ecosystem supported by regional stakeholder groups, associated organisations and a transnational support network. This ensures that refugee women receive coordinated support from business mentors, legal advisors, public authorities and innovation hubs, rather than fragmented or duplicated services.

Tools, materials and a digital backbone

To make the solution practical and transferable, partners jointly developed an extensive toolkit. This includes regional entrepreneurial guides, recruitment and evaluation templates, mentoring methodologies, operational manuals, webinars/workshops, evaluation frameworks and communication materials. All tools were prepared in an accessible language and, where needed, translated into Ukrainian.

A key enabling component is the BSI_4Women digital platform, which supports recruitment, mentoring, communication, documentation and knowledge sharing across borders. The platform allows partners and participants to collaborate regardless of location, reduces administrative barriers, and ensures that project results remain accessible beyond the project’s lifetime.

Proof of effectiveness through joint piloting and evaluation

The effectiveness of the BSI_4Women solution was not assumed—it was tested, evaluated and refined through pilot actions implemented in all partner regions. Refugee women participated in regional incubation programmes, supported by mentors, experts and stakeholders. Progress was monitored continuously, and results were assessed using a joint evaluation methodology, including peer reviews between partners.

The pilots demonstrated clear results. Refugee women increased their entrepreneurial skills, confidence and understanding of local markets. Several participants developed viable business models, presented their ideas at regional and transnational demo days, and took concrete steps towards market entry. At the same time, participating organisations strengthened their institutional capacity, adopting new tools, procedures and cooperation models for supporting refugee entrepreneurship.

Importantly, the evaluation process itself became a learning mechanism. Differences between regional contexts were openly discussed, and lessons learned were incorporated into the final version of the incubation programme. This iterative, transnational learning process ensured that the solution is both robust and adaptable.

Why Interreg cooperation made the difference

What truly distinguishes BSI_4Women is its Interreg transnational character. The project did not simply aggregate national experiences; it created added value by comparing, combining and refining them. Partners learned from each other’s legal frameworks, support models and policy approaches. Countries with longer experience in migrant entrepreneurship shared practices with regions facing newer challenges, while all partners contributed insights from their local ecosystems.

This cooperation resulted in a solution that is scalable, transferable and sustainable. The establishment of a Transnational Investment Support Network for Refugee women ensures that collaboration continues after the project ends. The incubation programme and tools are freely available to other regions, business support organisations and public authorities, enabling replication across the Baltic Sea Region and beyond.

A lasting impact beyond the project

BSI_4Women shows how a complex humanitarian and economic challenge can be transformed into an opportunity for inclusive growth through cooperation. By empowering refugee and migrant women to become entrepreneurs, the project supports social integration, economic resilience and innovation at regional and transnational levels.

More broadly, the project demonstrates the power of Interreg cooperation: when regions work together, share responsibility and co‑create solutions, they can address challenges that no single actor could solve alone. The BSI_4Women incubation programme is not only a response to a crisis, it is a forward looking model for building resilient, inclusive economies in the Baltic Sea Region.

Programme Manual Online

Choose