Conversations with EEPA Category Winners - Startup Refugees

We're happy to share a unique glimpse into the minds of the best in the business! We had the incredible opportunity to sit down with the winners across various categories at the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA).

In this exclusive interview series, we posed thought-provoking questions to the representative of the winning projects, we tried to understand the reasons behind their work, their strategies, and visions that made their work stand out.

So, buckle up as we take you on a journey through the minds of these EEPA Category Winners. From groundbreaking initiatives to personal reflections, these conversations are a treasure trove of wisdom for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and enthusiast. Let's dive in!  

Today we are proposing the interview to the Category 6, Responsible and Inclusive Entrepreneurship, winner: Business Program - Startup Refugees (Finland). The Business Program provides participants with information, skills, and an approach toward entrepreneurship with the help of training, market validation, business advice, and events.

How did you first hear about the European Enterprise Promotion Awards competition and why did you decide to enter?

We thought we could have visibility to our work, which could help us in finding partnerships both in Finland and abroad. It was our CEO who found about the competition, probably through the Finnish ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment 

How did you prepare your application?

We gathered data from our results and work from the last few years and found a politician who could recommend us.

What do you think made your application standout?

The results, scale and creative diversity of our work, but in this category also the way how we include refugees in designing and delivering services to other refugees and migrants. Half of our staff  in the entrepreneurship services are migrants, we recruit refugees and migrants as guest speakers in our courses and workshops, we use peer learning and working together as teaching methods in our trainings, and the latest curriculum of the entrepreneurship course was done using co-creation methods, where former course alumni were involved.

Could you tell us what it felt winning the award and its significance to you?

 It felt amazing! It was a recognition to our hard hands-on work we do among refugees and less fortunate migrants whom everybody doesn't want to serve because it takes time and effort and results are not certain. Our work has been seen and refugees are acknowledged as potential entrepreneurs and contributors to European societies among other citizens.

 In what ways has winning the EEPA Awards impacted your ongoing projects/ initiatives?

We have received very good feedback from our partners. When meeting new and potential partners, the award attracts attention and gives credibility to our work, which we hope will turn into collaborations in practise, too. 

What are your plans for the future?

Continue serving aspiring refugee and migrant entrepreneurs, further developing our trainings and services to them and to the public sector working with migrants. It would be great to do some projects also in the Mediterranean, Middle East or Africa.

Why should others enter EEPA 2024? What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?

It's a great opportunity to meet other actors working in entrepreneurship around Europe, share experiences and learn from them. My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is: Press on, don't give up! If the first ideas and partnerships don't work, be creative and try something else. Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who don't give up.

Finally, we invite you to stay updated on the event on the Promoting enterprise news portal and also via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube so stay tuned. It is possible to check the photos from the event also on Promoting Enterprise | Flickr.