Empowering Refugee Entrepreneurship through Technology
Refugees often face significant barriers when trying to start their own businesses, from navigating complex legal frameworks to securing financing and accessing markets. This hackathon challenge seeks to tackle these barriers by encouraging participants to design and develop digital tools that empower refugees to become successful entrepreneurs in their host countries.
Potential solutions may include:
- AI-powered platforms that provide personalised entrepreneurial support and resources
- blockchain-based systems for secure, transparent financial transactions and micro-financing
- mobile apps that offer business mentorship, legal advice, and networking opportunities for refugee entrepreneurs
Participants are encouraged to focus on creating user-friendly, scalable solutions that facilitate refugees’ integration into the local economy and empower them to contribute meaningfully through entrepreneurship.
This Challenge is a part of the EU-funded AGILE project (Higher education resilience in refugee crises: forging social inclusion through capacity building, civic engagement and skills recognition, https://agileproject-erasmus.eu/). Project number: 2022-1-FR01-KA220-HED-000087334.
Questions?
w2lboichenko@gmail.com
Who can join?
Developers, NGOs/Non-profits, entrepreneurs, refugees, and other community groups with an interest in refugee support
Specific conditions to apply
No specific conditions. Open to all participants globally.
08 - 09 NOV 2024
Register by 05 NOVOnline
from GreeceAccess and Availability
Challenge and goals
By the end of the hackathon, participants should have developed:
- a digital prototype that offers innovative solutions for refugee entrepreneurship;
- a plan for how the solution can be implemented and scaled within refugee communities;
- a presentation (demo) showcasing how the solution addresses specific entrepreneurial challenges for refugees, such as access to financing or legal advice.
Beyond the hackathon, these solutions should show potential for partnerships with NGOs, micro-finance institutions, or governmental agencies to ensure sustainability and long-term impact.
Expectations and requirements for the solutions and participants
Teams are expected to deliver:
- a functional prototype or a minimum viable product (MVP) of a digital solution;
- a demo or live presentation illustrating the solution’s features;
- a detailed explanation of how the tool can be implemented, along with a roadmap for scaling and sustainability.
The solution must be accessible to users with limited technical knowledge.
It should integrate features that address specific refugee challenges (e.g., financial inclusion, legal constraints).
The platform must ensure data security and user privacy.
Available Support
Participants will receive:
- Mentorship from experts in entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and refugee integration.
- Guidance on integrating legal frameworks and financial systems for refugee entrepreneurs.
Mentors
Judges
Inna Riepina
Professor, Doctor of Economics, Head of the Department of Business Economics and Entrepreneurship, Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman (Ukraine)Prizes
- Certificate of participation
- Recommendation letter