End of the special project Ukraine: New start through foundation for Ukrainian refugees
LOK.a.Motion GmbH draws a positive conclusion at the end of its special project as part of the neustart.plus project for Ukrainian refugees. The reporting period from January 1 to November 27, 2023 shows that the start-up advice is a great success and makes an important contribution to the integration and inclusion of Ukrainians in Berlin.
After Russia's attack on Ukraine in February 2021, millions of people fled their homeland. By mid-August 2023, around 270,000 Ukrainians had reached Germany, including almost 100,000 in Berlin. In response, the Berlin Senate decided to support Ukrainian refugees with their arrival and integration through various programs, including start-up advice.
LOK.a.Motion GmbH, which now has seven years of experience in supporting people with a refugee and migration background in setting up their own businesses, has expanded its range of services, which have previously been used primarily by people from Arabic-speaking countries, to include special measures for Ukrainian refugees.
The start-up consulting program includes qualified initial interviews, assessment workshops, marketing workshops, tax and accounting workshops, individual coaching and reflection workshops. All offers are provided in Ukrainian or Russian.
During the reporting period, 47 initial contacts were recorded, resulting in 31 initial interviews. 23 people took part in the project, of which 16 successfully completed the assessment. The high participation of women (73%) is due to the current difficulty of Ukrainian men fleeing. Overall, the target was exceeded, which illustrates the high demand for start-up advice for Ukrainians in Berlin.
Despite the refugees' short stay in Berlin and their involvement in integration and German courses, the special project exceeded its objectives.
LOK.a.Motion GmbH is planning further reflection workshops for 2023 and offers for 2024, also in connection with the target group of Arab founders.
The successes of the special project so far underline the clear need for start-up support for Ukrainian refugees. In view of the continued high influx of this target group to Berlin, it is urgently necessary to maintain and further expand the advisory structures that have been established. LOK.a.Motion GmbH continues to work for sustainable support and integration of Ukrainian refugees into the Berlin start-up scene.
