The CEA event, “Empowering Business Ideas into Reality through EU Cohesion Policies and Funds,” took place on Sunday, 24th August, at 2 PM at the House of Culture in Voznesensk, Ukraine. The event, organized by IVY Volunteer Paula Ruiz within the framework of Interreg Volunteer Youth in collaboration with the City Council of Voznesensk, was a truly engaging and inspiring experience, in which local youth and entrepreneurs learned how EU Cohesion Policies support local entrepreneurship by enabling initiatives, networks, and collaboration.

The first part of the event featured five speakers:

• Mykhailo Omelchenko from the Ukrainian Institute for International Politics, Kyiv, who presented an overview of the Interreg Danube Programme and funding opportunities for SMEs;
• Oleksandr Laiko from the Institute of Market, Economic and Ecological Research, Odesa, who shared lessons from the EU-funded project “Embracing Failure to Facilitate Second-Chance Entrepreneurship in the Danube Region”;
• Anastasia Vlasenko, former ambassador from EU Neighbours East in 2023, who highlighted youth opportunities and EU initiatives, participating remotely;
• Viktoria Balzer, the Secretary of Voznesensk City Council, who provided a local perspective on EU-funded projects and cohesion policy;
• Alla Tkachenko from the local InnoCom – Innovating Communication Targeted for SMEs project, who explained the project’s insights, youth involvement, and how cohesion policy tools foster innovation and community development, delivered their speeches in person.

After the conference, the Youth Cohesion Challenge began, where 21 young participants, aged 15 to 30, pitched their social business ideas addressing local challenges.

The contest was highly interactive and inspiring: the participants developed innovative concepts, reflected on the knowledge shared by the speakers, and the 7 chosen winners won a fully funded trip to Odesa on Wednesday 27th to continue with the path of learning on Cohesion policy!

They travelled with members of the City Council to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, where the winners of the contest pitched their business ideas to the EU-funded project team, receiving valuable feedback, guidance, and mentorship.

Moreover, the team of the local project; InnoCom, had the chance to present its work and explore potential cooperation with the institute.

The day concluded with a cultural experience at the Odesa Fine Arts Museum, giving participants an opportunity to connect with local heritage and enrich their understanding of the context in which cohesion policies are applied.