NEWS
Created in 2020, the L’Oréal Fund for Women is an endowment fund dedicated to supporting grassroots organizations and associations that assist highly vulnerable women and girls and combat gender-based and sexual violence. The Fund supports projects that provide access to education, social and professional integration, and the protection of women’s rights, contributing to the resilience of women and girls in highly precarious situations.
While the 2026 call for applications has not yet opened, EMN members can prepare in advance and review the selection criteria. Having an account is required to apply:
New users: must review the selection criteria before creating an account.
Existing users: must confirm that they have read the selection criteria.
This is a unique opportunity for members to present projects that make a tangible difference for women and girls, and to gain visibility in the international social and microfinance community.
Check their website for more information and to review the selection criteria
EMN is excited to welcome Globus Bank as a new member of our network!
Globus Bank is a private commercial bank in Ukraine that focuses on supporting national recovery by providing sustainable and accessible financial solutions. Its mission is to promote economic stability and address the needs of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises through tailored lending programs and sustainable finance instruments. The bank aims to accelerate Ukraine’s transition to energy independence by financing energy-efficient solutions for condominium associations and ESCO companies. Additionally, Globus Bank actively advocates for the economic interests of combat veterans by offering specialized preferential financial instruments.
All initiatives implemented by the bank are aimed at creating positive impact and are based on core values such as resilience, environmental responsibility, and social justice. By focusing on high-impact sectors, the bank ensures the sustainability of results and implements a results-oriented strategy. Globus Bank is committed to high social ideals and develops banking products that actively contribute to poverty reduction, peacebuilding, and the creation of a prosperous future for Ukraine.
Check the member profile.
Entrepreneurial activity in low-income communities faces numerous challenges, but it is not impossible for it to thrive. The Financial Health and Resilience project is committed to identifying strategies that support entrepreneurs and enhance their financial resilience. Since many entrepreneurs depend on their businesses for their livelihood, providing support not only contributes to their business success but also bolsters their personal and family resilience.
In the project, three hundred entrepreneurs received mentoring and coaching tailored to their individual needs and availability. In 2025, the partners focused on the following objectives:
- Establishing 150 mentoring relationships in each country
- Providing support based on each entrepreneur’s specific needs
- Encouraging the development of new, positive habits, such as collaboration, flexibility, and finding a balance between work and personal life.
In 2026, the partners will finalise the development of the support methodology aimed at strengthening entrepreneurs’ financial health and will pilot new support methods, including collaborative entrepreneurship, to alleviate the pressures faced by entrepreneurs. Results from the project will be presented at the 2026 Annual Conference in Barcelona.
Funder: JPMorgan Chase Foundation
Partners:
- Spain: Autoocupacio Foundation, Tomillo Foundation, Nantik Lum Foundation, Incyde
- France: Adie Association, Cresus Foundation, LiveMentor
In Spain and Greece, our local partners, Autoocupació and ANKA, are working with 60 young people who are not engaged in education, employment, or training (NEETs) to help them find a path toward employment. The reasons for economic exclusion among these individuals vary, including issues related to education, housing, migration, and family obligations, such as caring for dependent family members. Despite their differences, these factors all lead to significant challenges for young people trying to re-enter the labor market.
The roles of our partners and the EMN are to test and develop a methodology aimed at assisting long-term market-excluded youth in discovering their own routes to economic independence. Drawing from Autoocupacio’s successful mentoring experience, the partners have crafted a methodology that focuses on building trust-based, non-judgmental relationships in which the motivations and aspirations of young people take center stage.
In 2026, the project aims to support an additional 120 young people, and the relationships formed during this initiative will help refine the methodology further. The findings from the project will be presented at the Annual Conference in Barcelona in 2026.
Funder: European Social Fund (ESF+)
Partners:
- Autoocupacio Foundation (Spain)
- ANKA (Greece)
The EUIPO – European Union Intellectual Property Office is offering two online training opportunities: one focused on IP for Business Advisers and the other on IP Monetisation Opportunities. You can find more information at the links below.