European FairShares Labs for Social and Blue Innovation Erasmus Project

Project Title

European FairShares Labs for Social and Blue Innovation

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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Access for disadvantaged; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The FairShares Labs project has developed and tested adult education solutions to new economic and environmental challenges. Demographic change, social inclusion and the protection of the ecosystem have enormous implications for the economy, the welfare system and the labour market. FairShares Labs combine new approaches to social innovation, collaborative and social entrepreneurship, and social inclusion, as detailed in a FairShares Labs methodology.FairShares Labs was implemented by a European consortium of 6 partners from 5 European countries (UK, DE, NL, HU, HR). They had extensive experience in adult education, European project work and social, sustainable and cooperative entrepreneurship.The first major innovation of the FairShares Lab concept is that the development and learning process takes place in its social context. In particular, it has also succeeded in successfully including disadvantaged people such as minorities or people with disabilities as learners in the roles of investors, founders, employees and customers.The second major innovation was the development and implementation of cooperative learning, work, and enterprise models, FairShares values and principles, and the FairShares model. FairShares is a multi-stakeholder brand and development model for self-managed social enterprises operating under association, cooperative and corporate law.The third innovation is the FairShares platform (https://fairsharesplatform.eu/) and the FairShares planner. Through the FairShares platform people can put their ideas on a virtual table and invite other players from the 4 essential stakeholder groups to join in the search for solutions or collaborate to create social innovation / businesses at local, national and European, as well as international levels. The FairShares Planner has created an interactive learning and working tool that allows the 4 stakeholder groups to respond intuitively and on the basis of key questions from the perspective of each stakeholder, and to produce a common outcome considering and evaluating FairShares values and principles.FairShares Labs developed a learning methodology and curriculum. The tutorial course consists of 14 lessons and can be fully self-paced as e-learning via a Moodle platform or by downloading all course materials, also on paper, and through the FairShares laboratories, with the help of a trainer, as blended learning.At the end of the project, a summary of the practical report and a manual for the implementation of new FairShares laboratories was developed.Totally 16 FairShares laboratories were built and tested. In these FairShares laboratories, 16 ideas, 32 incubation and 18 planning workshops with 155, 101 and 90 learners took place. 55 projects have been started, 8 of which are transnational, 17 projects are in the idea status, 21 FairShares plans are in progress, 7 FairShares plans have been completed and 8 FairShares companies have been registered. In total, we had 155 different learners in the workshops, 41 of them with disabilities / restrictions. There were 6 training courses for trainer with more than 30 future FairShares trainer.In addition to a project website, a Facebook page, a brochure, flyer and 6 newsletters were published, 6 multiplier events with 133 participants and a final conference in Pécs with about 90 participants happened.With the help of FairShares Labs, foundations of sustainable social enterprises were initiated and implemented. Important processes of rethinking have been initiated among company executives and employees, customers or the financing bodies.The target group of FairShares Labs users benefited from start-up and development potential. Especially participants with limitations helped to lower the learning and action thresholds of the methods and instruments and to participate fairly as experts in their own interests. For many participants, significant increases in social and communicative skills were noted. This informal and non-formal learning process promoted fair, social entrepreneurial thinking and skills.The FairShares platform has created a sustainable international network of FairShares stakeholders and has helped launch new FairShares laboratories. In collaboration with the FairShares Association and the creation of an international FairShares Labs community, the project’s results are secured over the long term and FairShares Labs evolves.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 336146,42 Eur

Project Coordinator

Verein zur sozialen und beruflichen Integration e.V. & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Zöld-Aktív Szociális Szövetkezet
• SOCIAL ENTERPRISE INTERNATIONAL LTD
• KOPF, HAND und FUSS gemeinnützige Gesellschaft für Bildung mbH
• ECOsynergy Gazdasági Tanácsadó Kft
• The Elephant: Learning in Diversity B.V
• Udruga za kreativni razvoj Slap