A milestone for the Red Cross: 5 years of REDpreneur
Vienna, 29 November 2025 – The Austrian Red Cross is celebrating an impressive anniversary: five years of REDpreneur, a program that has revolutionized humanitarian aid. The founding of this global academy in 2020 marked the beginning of a new era in which financial independence and the promotion of local entrepreneurial spirit are at the center.
What is REDpreneur?
REDpreneur is an innovative initiative of the Red Cross that aims to strengthen national Red Cross societies as well as local civil society organizations and businesses in business development. Through targeted training, mentoring and networking, the program especially supports so-called “Social Businesses” – companies that address social challenges in a financially sustainable way.
Elin Baranyai-Ulvestad, head of REDpreneur, explains: “We strengthen regional economic and social structures while simultaneously promoting innovation in the Red Cross’s core areas. One example is Lebanon, where the Red Cross generates funds through first aid courses for companies and the sale of first aid kits, which flow into free school courses and support for the local ambulance service.”
Historical background
The idea behind REDpreneur arose from the need to make humanitarian aid less dependent on traditional donors. Over the past decades it has repeatedly become clear that dependence on public and private donations endangers the sustainability of many aid projects. For this reason, the Red Cross sought new ways to strengthen local structures while at the same time generating financial resources.
The founding of REDpreneur in 2020 came at a time of global upheaval. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the weaknesses of traditional aid systems and highlighted the need for innovative approaches. REDpreneur was launched in response to these challenges.
Concrete impacts on citizens
The impacts of REDpreneur are diverse and primarily affect people on the ground. In countries like Lebanon, where the program is active, citizens benefit not only from improved Red Cross services but also from new economic opportunities. By supporting Social Businesses, new jobs are created, which in turn contributes to stabilizing the local economy.
Another example is Ukraine, where the Red Cross, thanks to REDpreneur, has been able to support 100 start-ups founded by women and internally displaced people over the past two years. This support is especially invaluable in times of war and demonstrates how important aid that enables self-help is.
Expert opinions
Michael Opriesnig, Secretary General of the Austrian Red Cross, stresses: "From Austria we have already promoted social entrepreneurship with REDpreneur in 39 countries. We are especially proud of our work in Ukraine, where over the past two years we have been able to support numerous start-ups. In times of austerity and diminishing funds for international cooperation, this support for self-help is more important than ever."
Gottfried Traxler, head of the Economics and Development unit at the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), adds: "Within the framework of our economic partnerships we support projects that combine entrepreneurial potential with long-term impact, create jobs and promote sustainable growth. The REDpreneur initiative exemplifies what humanitarian aid and entrepreneurial spirit can achieve together - given the current global challenges, this is more important than ever."
Comparison with other federal states and international initiatives
While Austria has taken a pioneering role with REDpreneur, other countries are also pursuing similar efforts to make humanitarian aid more sustainable. In Germany, for example, the program "Sozialstarter" was launched, which also focuses on promoting social businesses. Similar initiatives can also be found in the Scandinavian countries, where the emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility is traditionally strong.
The comparison shows that Austria, with REDpreneur, plays a leading role in the international aid community and serves as an example for other countries.
Numbers and statistics
- REDpreneur is active in 39 countries.
- In Ukraine, 100 start-ups have been supported in the past two years.
- The program supports over 500 social businesses worldwide each year.
These figures illustrate the success and reach of REDpreneur and show how effective the program is in different regions of the world.
Future outlook
The future of REDpreneur looks promising. The Red Cross plans to further expand the program and become active in even more countries. The aim is to be present in over 60 countries by 2030 and to increase the number of supported social businesses to more than 1,000 annually.
In view of the growing global challenges, including climate change, political instability and economic uncertainty, REDpreneur's role as a catalyst for sustainable development and social innovation is becoming increasingly important.
Political contexts and dependencies
The work of REDpreneur is closely linked to political frameworks and international agreements. Support from organizations such as the Austrian Development Agency and the ERSTE Stiftung shows how important international cooperation is for the success of such initiatives. At the same time, the dependence on political decisions and financial commitments makes clear that REDpreneur's stability and success also depend on the political landscape.
Conclusion
Over the past five years, REDpreneur has shown how humanitarian aid can be rethought. By combining social entrepreneurship with financial sustainability, the program offers a forward-looking solution to many of the most pressing problems of our time. The successes in countries such as Lebanon and Ukraine are impressive examples of how aid that promotes self-reliance works in practice.
Looking ahead to the coming years, it is to be hoped that REDpreneur will continue to serve as a flagship project for sustainable development and social innovation and will be able to celebrate many more successes.
