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GLOW-CE

Project overview

Gender-equal Leadership and Opportunities for Women

In many lagging regions, brain drain, and gender inequality mean talented young women start businesses elsewhere. GLOW-CE aims to turn this untapped potential into local growth. Partners from four countries use participatory methods to train business support organisations. They co-design women-centred services and pilots in digital and green sectors and expand access to skills, mentoring and networks. Shared tools and lessons help regions reform their systems and ultimately scale what works.

0,58m €

Project Budget

80%

of the Budget is funded by ERDF

Layer 1

4

Countries

4

Regions

4

Partners

5

Pilots

Duration

Start date

End date

Project progress

26%

Project partnership

Project partners

Magyarország (HU)

Lead partner

South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency

Address
Mária 3
7621 Pécs
Country
Hungary (HU)
Web
https://ddriu.hu/en/home/

Project partner

Address
Okružní 517/10
370 01 České Budějovice
Country
Czechia (CZ)
Web
www.jaip.cz
Total partner budget
145,152 €
Address
Via Peschiera 16
16122 Genova
Country
Italy (IT)
Web
https://www.raiseliguria.it/
Total partner budget
141,120 €
Address
Vučnik 100
51300 Delnice
Country
Croatia (HR)
Web
www.wondernature.hr
Total partner budget
124,320 €

Roadmap

1

Context

Many Central European regions face a "brain drain," with talented young people leaving for major cities or abroad. Women represent a vast but often untapped potential for entrepreneurship and leadership.

2

Specific problem

Women, especially those under 35 and living outside major regional centers, face hindered access to business support. Existing services are often too generic, fail to address women’s specific needs, and focus predominantly on large cities. Furthermore, women are frequently discouraged from entering lucrative fields like digital and green technologies.

3

Idea

To create tools and environments that strengthen the capacities of both business support organizations and women themselves. Together, we aim to design an ecosystem that is more accessible, equitable, and focused on the unique needs of women in regional areas.

4

Solution

Introduction of new, tailored pilot business support services and a joint skill development programme, specifically focusing on the green and digital sectors.

5

How it works?

First, we map the needs of women and the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. Next, we connect women with regional organizations through local and international workshops. Finally, we create tailored pilot actions and training programmes, which are directly tested in practice with selected participants.

6

Proof/Credibility

The tested services will not end with the project. Successful pilot actions will be transformed into practical Solution Guides and a detailed Capitalisation Plan, officially approved by regional institutions to ensure these services become a permanent part of regional support.

7

Visions

More balanced regional development and competitive regions where leadership and business success know no gender barriers.

News

Outputs

GLOW-CE Joint Strategy for a Gender-Balanced and Accessible Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

The Joint Strategy provides a shared strategic framework for improving entrepreneurial ecosystems in peripheral and lagging regions of Central Europe with a specific focus on gender equality and regional accessibility. Developed jointly by the GLOW-CE partnership through mapping activities, stakeholder engagement and participatory planning, the Strategy identifies the main barriers women entrepreneurs face in accessing business support services, particularly in rural and underserved areas outside regional centres. It defines shared objectives and priority areas for short, mid and long-term action across the partner regions of Hungary, Czech Republic, Italy and Croatia, serving as the foundation for the regional action plans and pilot activities implemented throughout the project. Designed as a transferable and adaptable document, the Strategy supports business support organisations and policy-makers in designing more gender-sensitive and regionally balanced services and policies.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans
In development

Solution Guides to Support Wide-Scale Adaptation of the Pilot Actions

The Solution Guides comprise a set of five practical, highly visual and action-based how-to documents, one for each pilot action tested within the GLOW-CE project. Each guide translates the lessons learned from the regional and joint pilot actions into a concise, accessible format designed to support organisations and regions outside the partnership in adapting and replicating the solutions in their own contexts. Developed in English and freely available through the Programme website, partner websites and LinkedIn, the guides cover the full range of ecosystem aspects addressed by the pilots and serve as practical tools for business support organisations, regional development agencies and policy-makers seeking to improve entrepreneurial ecosystems with a focus on gender equality and regional accessibility.
Type of output: Solutions
In development

Skill Development Programme – Joint Pilot Action

The Skill Development Programme is a jointly designed and regionally implemented pilot action tested in all four partner regions. It targets women under 35 who are, are about to become, or aspire to become entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on those living outside regional centres. Drawing on established good practices such as the InnoLady Camp from Finland and the Woman and Talent Association from Spain, the programme combines knowledge transfer, soft skills development, mentoring and community building, with a shared sectoral focus on the digital and green industries. While the format and content are tailored to each partner region's specific context, common elements and selection criteria ensure comparability across regions. Results are documented and fed into the Capitalisation Plan and Solution Guides to support wide-scale replication.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans
In development

Capitalisation Plan on Sustaining and Upscaling the Pilot Actions

The Capitalisation Plan is a joint strategic document developed by all GLOW-CE partners in the final phase of the project, outlining how the tested solutions can be sustained, embedded into regular operations and scaled up beyond the project lifetime. For each solution, the Plan identifies the resources required and provides a step-by-step roadmap with short, mid and long-term milestones. Each partner contributes a dedicated regional section, validated by the appropriate organisation(s) in their region, ensuring an official commitment to continued implementation after the project closes. Translated into the national languages of the partner regions, the Plan serves as a practical instrument for policy-makers and business support organisations seeking to integrate gender-sensitive entrepreneurship support into existing strategies and programmes.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans
In development

GLOW-CE

The project lead partner is responsible for the content of this project website.

Project on social media

Project Contacts

Project Manager

Nikoletta Lupó
Phone: 0036205010204

Finance Manager

Anikó Kiss
Phone: 0036203696085

Communication Manager

Michaela Novotná
Phone: 00420608572269