The European Union is very active in supporting the development of new businesses in Azerbaijan, particularly among women and particularly in the regions, so don’t think that you need to be in Baku, to have a higher education or an established business in order to access EU support.

Here are some examples:

The EU-funded, Collaborate for Impact project aims to develop social entrepreneurship and social investment in the Eastern Partnership countries. In Azerbaijan it partners with the Education HUB to provide access to non-financial resources, education and mentoring programmes, as well as social innovation competition events to promote new social business models. Check out the Education HUB website and Facebook page for news and opportunities and visit the Collaborate for Impact website for success stories and podcasts from Azerbaijan.

Working with UNDP through the Developing innovation-driven and sustainable civil society in Azerbaijan project, the EU also offers business training on social entrepreneurship, helping you to develop practical skills in idea generation, business design and planning, sales and marketing, as well as measuring and reporting the social impact of your business. The project will also offer ideation and acceleration programmes, working towards the creation of a Social Enterprise Platform in Azerbaijan. Follow UNDP in Azerbaijan for latest news and opportunities.

In rural areas, the EU4Lakaran project supports small farmers and MSMEs, aiming to ensure new opportunities and support jobs, especially among women, delivering training on new technologies and support in producing safe, high-quality and marketable food supplies. Check the UNDP Azerbaijan Facebook page for news and opportunities.

One of the aims of the BRIDGE project strengthening civil society organisations is to help them address the recovery and livelihood needs of the most vulnerable communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Karabakh conflict, including by supporting skill development and career counselling among vulnerable groups and to stimulate gender-sensitive development through new income-generating activities and micro-businesses.

In addition, the EU4Youth programme is launching a series of projects aimed at enhancing youth employment and entrepreneurship in the Eastern Partnership region, including Azerbaijan, which will include mentoring, training programmes and apprenticeships. Follow the EU4Youth page for upcoming opportunities.