Maryana Kashchak teaches Pidhorodne community how to create a unique value proposition

On May 24–25, Mariana Kashchak, Director of the “Ukrainian Educational Platform” Charitable Organization and lecturer at the Ukrainian Catholic University, conducted two training modules for business, government, and civil society representatives of the Pidhorodne community. During these days, she taught participants how to create a value proposition for their ideas and projects, as well as how to attract funding for their implementation.

Defining the concept of a value proposition, Maryana noted that it is a brief summary of the main benefits and advantages a client receives from a product. In other words, it answers the question: “Why should a client (or grant provider) choose your product/project?” According to her, a well-formulated UVP (Unique Value Proposition) is the foundation of a business and the basis of its business model, as it ensures long-term success if it remains relevant to market needs.

The main components of a value proposition, as the lecturer pointed out, are:

• Client segment (or target group for a grant)
• User’s problem or “pain point”
• Solution — your product/service
• Expected results — benefits the user will receive
• Competitive advantage — why you?

It is worth noting that the formation of a UVP occurs simultaneously for both consumers and entrepreneurs.

Maryana Kashchak then focused on a detailed explanation of the functions of a value proposition, which are not limited to just presenting one’s idea or project. Among the functions of a UVP, the lecturer highlighted:

1. Generating new ideas for products and services
2. Verifying product-market fit
3. Business auditing
4. Understanding the full spectrum of consumer tasks
5. Identifying key qualities of a product or service
6. Influencing the entire business model

In the second part of the training day, the lecturer taught participants how to properly submit a grant application to receive a successful response. Specifically, she presented to the audience typical mistakes entrepreneurs make when preparing or submitting them.

In conclusion, the participants of the training module noted the importance of the presented topic and the lecturer’s ability to present complex concepts easily and accessibly, particularly through practical advice and real-life cases.