Circular economy from social enterprises to their customers Erasmus Project

Project Title

Circular economy from social enterprises to their customers

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Environment and climate change; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

EU Commission encourages the implementation of an inclusive green economy, able to generate growth, create jobs and reduce poverty through sustainable management. Most initiatives delivered leave behind social enterprises – a strong job creator and business developer reaching 2.8 million social economy enterprises in EU, employing about 19.1 million people. An overview from partner countries showed that progress arose on circular economy training, but yet with little expression, and it’s a fact that no partner has specific training measures for social enterprises.

CIRCULAR LOOPS aims to foster the approach of circular economy in social enterprises, by promoting the concept of social circular economy. The project looks for the creation of a transferable package of resources to improve knowledge about social circular economy in each context.

Circular Loops objectives are:
_To identify social economy practices across partner countries, its characteristic and key successful factors;
_To co-create a creative methodology and methods to support managers of social enterprises to introduce circular economy in their businesses;
_ To setup a learning programme for managers of social enterprises to boost social circular economy practices;
_To adapt the ‘social circular business model canvas (SCBMC)’ into digital and using a strategic design approach;
_To design and implement a peer-mentoring programme for social enterprises to guide them into the process of ‘go circular’.

To achieve these objectives, partners develop 3 intellectual outputs:
IO1-Mapping the Scene: inspiring practices and methodology to go social circular: methodological framework starting with an onsite analysis of each partner country regarding practices being implemented and which could inspire innovation;
IO2- Enabling solution for social enterprises to ‘go circular’: systemic and integrative learning programme, which comprises the implementation of the methodology created (IO1), a online learning platform for distance learning and interaction, a board game tol help managers of social enterprises and mentors to develop and monitor the process, and f2f and online learning materials to expand the knowledge of managers of social enterprises;
IO3 – Peer-mentoring programme: group mentoring process to support and advise managers of social enterprises to implement circular economy principles in their businesses.

Circular Loops expected results are:
_35 inspiring practices from social enterprises to incorporate circular economy documented in 1 catalogue
_20 techniques which compose 1 methodology for development of circular economy in social enterprises
_1 online learning platform for digital learning, embedding the process of ‘go circular’
_1 course curricula to guide the learning programme
_12 face-to-face materials, 18 online materials and 1 step-by-step process available through the online learning platform, composing 1 learning programme to boost circular economy for social enterprises
_1 board game by challenging managers of social enterprises and mentors to develop and monitor the process
_6 specific resources for mentors within 1 peer-mentoring programme created to support directly managers of social enterprises, covering group mentoring (goal-oriented model/ structure) and packed into 1 instruction manual for mentors
_1 instruction guide for social enterprises, on how to use the methodology, methods and the game

_24 social enterprises involved in the collection and validation of inspiring practices
_72 consumers involved in the research phase (IO1)
_36 experts in the field involved in the validation of IO1
_108 managers of social enterprises engaged in the learning programme
_6 trainers involved
_18 volunteer mentors involved
_235 stakeholders, managers of social enterprises, experts in circular economy and social business, adult educators, business advisors, advocates, policy-makers, among others, in multiplier events
_723 people accessing the online learning platform
_20 staff and volunteers members of partner countries reached by 1 short term joint staff training

_6 transnational project meetings, involving a total of 62 representatives of the partner organisations, from 6 different countries
_6 validation workshops within IO1
_12 pilot events for the learning and mentoring programme
_54 group mentoring sessions
_12 multiplier events, including 1 final conference
_6 country reports on the experimentation phase and 1 pilot report

At the end of the project, partners foresee that managers of social enterprises successfully complete the learning and mentoring programme, rating it with good satisfaction, being committed with a circular economy implementation plan and disclaiming it to customers and suppliers. Moreover, partners look for requests from managers of social enterprises for further training and capacity-building for their staff.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 325935 Eur

Project Coordinator

ARGE Abfallvermeidung, Ressourcenschonung und nachhaltige Entwicklung GmbH & Country: AT

Project Partners

• APROXIMAR- COOPERATIVA DE SOLIDARIEDADE SOCIAL, CRL
• ASOCIATIA EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR SOCIAL INOVATION
• Associação IBIS – Iniciativa Beira Inovação Social
• Asociatia pentru Educatie si Dezvoltare Durabila
• Accademia IRSEI – Istituto di Ricerca per lo Sviluppo, Economia e Innovazione – APS
• ACEEU GmbH
• Neotalentway S.L.