EIT Red Kalyna 2025

Description

What is the EIT Red Kalyna Initiative? The EIT Red Kalyna is a flagship initiative of the EIT Community, dedicated to recognising exceptional Ukrainian women entrepreneurs, researchers, and leaders who have developed innovative products and services or transformed their businesses through innovation. Each year, up to 10 outstanding role models from Ukraine are inducted into the Red Kalyna Hall of Fame, which is widely published and promoted. These women receive the prestigious Red Kalyna Award from the EIT Community, symbolising their strength, resilience, and impact. The initiative is open to external partners who wish to support and empower Ukrainian women entrepreneurs. Launched in 2023, the project has already attracted 15+ partners and received over 100 high-quality nominations, showcasing inspiring women leaders from Ukraine. Who are the participants? Ukrainian women entrepreneurs who have developed innovative products or solutions or have transformed their businesses into innovative ones. We also look for inspiring women leaders who mentor and guide others in innovation and entrepreneurship. Through the Red Kalyna initiative, the EIT Community aims to empower women in Ukraine and provide them with a platform for recognition on a pan-European level, networking and access to Europe’s largest network of innovators – the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.

Beneficiary & submission

The application deadline for the programme is 1st September 2025 23:59 CET. Please apply through our online application platform. The applicants should emphasise the citizenship and current location of the nominee (preferably Ukraine), novelty and innovation, willingness to share experience and inspire and empower other women, contribution to the Ukrainian economy or rebuilding efforts, and stage of development and scalability, links to their social media pages. These selection criteria ensure a comprehensive evaluation process that reflects the objectives of the EIT Red Kalyna in promoting innovation, economic development, and women's empowerment in Ukraine. The submitted applications will be carefully assessed by a team of experts. Once the Call is closed, the Evaluation process commences, and the evaluation results are expected to be finalised by 1 October 2025. The outcome will be communicated to the nominators via email through the EIT Health InnoStars Project Coordinator. After completing the evaluation, evaluators submit their signed scorecards to the EIT Health InnoStars Project Coordinator. Subsequently, a meeting is scheduled with all the jury members to discuss the results and select up to 10 candidates. The final summarised scorecard, endorsed by all the jury members, serves as the basis for awarding the finalists. The letters with invitations to the Awarding Ceremony will be sent to participants directly by the respective EIT Community Project Coordinator. They will also contain information about the embargo of disclosing this information via social media, press releases or other channels available for wide, external audiences until the Awarding Ceremony event. Please note that by confirming your participation in the EIT Red Kalyna Initiative, you agree to the EIT Health terms and our commitment to GDPR compliance. Awarding Ceremony Based on the aforementioned evaluation procedure, the organisers will invite up to 10 individual nominees along with the partners who supported the Initiative financially to the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final event. The invitations will be sent to participants directly by the EIT Red Kalyna Project Coordinator. This event will be organised for the selected up to 10 finalists and 1 organisation. The preliminary agenda comprises the following elements: Awarding Ceremony: Announcement of the Hall of Fame to recognise and honour the most remarkable nominees and organisations among the participants. Additionally, all finalists will have the chance to participate in networking activities organised during the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA For individuals: Nominations can be submitted by third parties aiming to nominate someone or by the individuals themselves who wish to be nominated. Only applications sent via the online platform will be accepted for further evaluation. The minimum eligibility criteria for the individual candidates are: a. Application must be submitted in English. Applications in other languages will not be accepted. b. Applications must be submitted before the deadline; all late applications will be rejected. c. The candidate must be a female citizen of Ukraine. Please note that if it turns out that the application form was filled out with false information and as a result, a selected person does not meet the eligibility criteria listed above, she can be excluded from the Initiative with immediate effect, and any financial support paid up to that point must be returned. SCORING CRITERIA Eligibility criteria: Full name of the nominee (indicated/ not indicated) Link to the LinkedIn or Facebook profile of the nominee (indicated/ not indicated) Ukrainian citizenship (yes/no) • Current location (indicated/ not indicated) Focus area (indicated/ not indicated) • Application format: Did the nominator fulfil the application format as set out in the T&C?) - yes/no Selection criteria: 2.A Novelty and Innovation level of the nominee's activity/approach (3 = Very Strong, 2 = Medium, 1 = Weak) 2.B. Willingness and possibility to Share Experience and Inspire Others (3 = Very Strong, 2 = Medium, 1 = Weak) 2.C. Contribution to the Ukrainian Economy or Rebuilding Efforts (3 = Very Strong, 2 = Medium, 1 = Weak) 2.D. Stage of Development and Scalability (3 = Very Strong, 2 = Medium, 1 = Weak) 2.E. Leadership and Influence (3 = Very Strong, 2 = Medium, 1 = Weak)

Further information

EIT COMMUNITY'S REPRESENTATION In accepting the award, the finalist commits to supporting the visibility and promotion of the programme, providing organisers with testimonials (video, audio or text), as well as giving their consent to video recording and photography for the programme's purposes only. After the Awarding Ceremony, some participants might receive an interview request from a medium through the organisers, then can either accept or decline the request. Awardees are encouraged to portray the programme positively and promote it as ambassadors within their local networks. All images and assets where an EIT KIC, the EIT Community, the EIT Jumpstarter or the EIT itself is displayed shall be approved by the organisers of the programme. EIT visual guidelines must be respected in this case. Guidelines will be provided to the participants during the programme and upon request. KEY DATES • Deadline for submitting the application: 1 September 2025 at 23:59 CET • Selection of the finalist and invitation to the Awarding Ceremony: by 1 October 2025 • Awarding Ceremony: 29 November 2025 (to be confirmed) Dates can change, but the project management team will report them appropriately. FUNDING TERMS & CONDITIONS Financing is based on individuals. Up to the 10 role models will be reimbursed using eligibility criteria and reporting documents. Successful applicants are eligible to receive support for covering their travel, and accommodation costs: 1. Awarding Ceremony phase: Each of the selected finalists will have a budget of up an additional EUR 1,000 to cover their own individual travel and accommodation costs to attend the Awarding ceremony in person. The basic eligibility criteria for funding is to sign the consent form or the financial support agreement. Additional information and guidance will be provided during the programme on how to get and use this support. In case selected finalists cannot receive the financial grant (e.g. resign), the next eligible nominee in the ranking is entitled to receive the respective grant. Finalists of the former editions of the EIT Red Kalyna cannot be selected for the programme and receive any financial support at any stage of the competition. Please note that if it turns out that the application form was filled out with false information and, as a result, a selected finalist does not meet the eligibility criteria listed above, they can be excluded from the Initiative with immediate effect, and any financial support paid up to that point must be returned. HOW TO GET IN TOUCH For general programme-related questions, please get in touch with diana.berezhna@eithealth.eu Information on EIT Red Kalyna web page: Red Kalyna by EIT Community APPEALS PROCEDURE Applicants to EIT Red Kalyna may appeal the process for the selection. Similarly, the participants of the programme may appeal for errors in the programme execution, following the EIT Red Kalyna Appeals Procedure. The only grounds for appeal are process errors, technical problems beyond the control of applicants (e.g. the technical failure of the electronic submission system), and Human/technical errors made by EIT KICs staff. Scores awarded in the evaluation process, regardless of the programme's phase, do not constitute grounds for an appeal. Applicants should send their appeals in writing to diana@berezhna@eithealth.eu as soon as they identify an error, but no later than 21 days after the error occurred. EIT Red Kalyna Programme Lead assesses the claim and delivers a first response If there are grounds for appeal, EIT Red Kalyna Programme Lead will attempt to remedy the consequences (e.g. if a technical error of EIT Red Kalyna prevented the submission of a proposal or application, a late submission may still be accepted as eligible) The Steering Committee of the EIT Community Strategic Regional Innovations Cluster is notified about the matter if: o the applicant does not accept a rejection of the appeal or the remediation suggested by the EIT Red Kalyna Programme Lead, o there are grounds for appeal, but the problem cannot be remedied any more without disrupting the process. The final decision regarding the appeal and the suggested remedies shall be brought by the Steering Committee of the EIT Community Strategic Regional Innovations Cluster. AUDIT RIGHTS Participants are aware that EIT Red Kalyna Programme Lead, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, the EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, the European Commission, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) can carry out checks, reviews, audits, investigations on the participants and evaluations related to the Call. OVERVIEW OF EIT COMMUNITY AND EIT HEALTH INNOSTARS The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is dedicated to enhancing Europe’s ability to innovate by nurturing entrepreneurial talent and supporting groundbreaking ideas. Through its "knowledge triangle" model, the EIT connects leading companies, universities, and research centres to form dynamic cross-border partnerships called Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). These communities work collaboratively to address pressing societal challenges and drive innovation. Currently, there are nine thematic KICs under the EIT umbrella: • EIT Food: Driving innovation in the agri-food sector. • EIT Climate-KIC: Tackling climate change through innovation. • EIT Digital: Fostering digital transformation. • EIT InnoEnergy: Leading the transition to sustainable energy. • EIT Health: Advancing health and well-being. • EIT RawMaterials: Securing sustainable supply chains for raw materials. • EIT Manufacturing: Innovating manufacturing ecosystems. • EIT Urban Mobility: Improving mobility and urban living. • EIT Culture & Creativity: Strengthening Europe’s cultural and creative sectors. The EIT Community Strategic Regional Innovations Cluster (EIT RIS) is a horizontal initiative providing a platform for KICs to collaborate, share best practices, and launch joint activities. It focuses on fostering innovation in Emerging European regions, including countries eligible for the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme. The EIT RIS aims to bridge the innovation gap, particularly in countries where innovation performance is considered modest or moderate, as defined by the European Innovation Scoreboard.