EIT Red Kalyna Initiative – Ukraine

The EIT Red Kalyna is a flagship initiative of the EIT Community that aims to recognise outstanding Ukrainian women entrepreneurs who have developed innovative products or solutions or have transformed their businesses into innovative ones; a group of participants of ‘relevant organisations’ comprises Ukrainian and European organisations dedicated to supporting Ukrainian women in various fields such as business, research, education, and beyond.

Every year up to 10 role models from Ukraine and 1 relevant organisation will be inducted into the Red Kalyna Hall of Fame, which will be published and promoted. They will receive the Red Kalyna Award by EIT Community to symbolise their strength and endurance. The project is open to external partners who wish to support women entrepreneurs from Ukraine.

The EIT Red Kalyna Initiative is part of the EIT Community Strategic Regional Innovations Cluster therefore the launch of this year’s edition, as well as all financial commitments made in the Terms and Conditions document depend on the successful approval of the amendment of the EIT Community Strategic Regional Innovations Cluster’s Business Plan 2023-25.

Awarding Ceremony 

• Based on the aforementioned evaluation procedure, the organisers will invite up to 10 individual nominees and 1 organisation representative along with the partners who supported the Initiative financially to the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final event. The invitations will be sent to participants directly by the EIT Red Kalyna Project Coordinator. This event will be organised for the selected up to 10 finalists and 1 organisation. The preliminary agenda comprises the following elements:
  • Awarding Ceremony: Announcement of the Hall of Fame to recognise and honour the most remarkable nominees and organisations among the participants.
  • Additionally, all finalists will have the chance to participate in networking activities organised during the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final.

Who are the participants? 

• Ukrainian women entrepreneurs who have developed innovative products or solutions or have transformed their businesses into innovative ones. They also look for inspiring female leaders who mentor and guide others in innovation and entrepreneurship. Through the Red Kalyna initiative, the EIT Community aims to empower women in Ukraine and provide them with a platform for recognition on a pan-European level, networking and access to Europe’s largest network of innovators – the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.
• The EIT Red Kalyna is also open to Ukrainian and European organisations and institutions, situated both in Ukraine and Horizon Europe countries, whose mission refers to empowering women, working on inclusion and diversity and who are eager to support Ukrainian women in areas such as business, research, education, innovation, technology and related fields. They intend to engage in mutually advantageous collaborations with them to enhance the collective efforts.

For more information, visit European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).