SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS Erasmus Project

Project Title

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship); Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

The general purpose of this project is to improve the managerial, financial and business competence of young entrepreneurs by the open-access training modules. Equipped young entrepreneurs with core competencies will ensure the development of business life and of course their nations in EU standards.

Within the existing entrepreneurship training, entrepreneurs are introduced to the business plan concept. This training consists of only 30 hours. During training, entrepreneurs, who are already stranger to concepts, don’t get enough information to manage a successful enterprise. Theoretical training doesn’t provide enough information and experience in order to prepare their feasibility plans. They should be trained not only in a class in a given period but also every time they need it. Thus, by this project, an e-learning platform is constituted.

Beside this need, entrepreneurs aren’t trained about foreign trade and marketing (including e-commerce and social media). These are big deficiencies. These arguments are indispensable in toady’s globalising world. Each entrepreneur should consider interacting with global world and social networks in order to enlarge his/her businesses. Therefore, entrepreneurship training should contain modules of foreign trade and marketing including e-commerce applications and social media marketing.

In order to achieve this goal, it was constituted a “Small Business Development Centre” including applied methods. It was generated training curriculum, materials, documents, and media in order to use it in business life effectively. So, the professional qualifications of the youngsters will be developed and the differences will be reduced.

The target group of the project is young entrepreneurs who want to make an investment. Through the outputs of this project, youngsters can improve their professional qualities themselves via ICT tool and training materials.

– There are 4 partner countries and 6 partners. Applicant and 2 partners are from Turkey, UCLL is from Belgium, DRPDNM is from Slovenia and OECON Group is from Greece.
– 4 intellectual outputs were obtained.
– 4 transnational project meetings were conducted in each partner country to overview project activities.
– 4 main multiplier events were conducted in order to disseminate project results.

Expected results of the proposal are briefly listed below:

1. Current Situation and Need Analysis Study: ‘Current situation’ and the ‘needs of the young entrepreneurs’ were analyzed. For this analysis, a literature review for each country was performed. Also, survey-based research was applied, and accordingly, a questionnaire with 28 questions was prepared. 300 respondents participated in the survey. Belgium: 42 pcs (14%), Greece: 41 pcs (13.7%), Slovenia: 38 pcs (12.7%), Turkey: 151 pcs (50.3%), Other EU Countries: 28 pcs (9.3%). Besides, Focus Group meetings with 53 participants were handled as follows: Belgium: 1 meeting, Greece: 1 meeting, Slovenia: 1 meeting, Turkey: 2 meetings.

2. Training Program: Training methodology and related modules for entrepreneurs were prepared in accordance with their needs. Training materials were developed. 11 modules as training curriculum including handbook, interactive material, theoretical manual are generated in order to use in business life effectively.

3. NGO-young entrepreneurs relation: It was improved thanks to developing vocational training modules for current and potential youngsters.

4. E-learning Portal: The flexible learning process in line with entrepreneurs’ needs and objectives was formed, and so the use of digital training was promoted. Thanks to this e-learning platform, entrepreneurs can make self-training and get professional knowledge without limitation of space and time. So, they can improve their competitive advantages.

5. A Policy Report: It was prepared for the policymakers by providing professional and methodological tools. It was conducted in order to recommend and guide near future policies and strategic activities, to ensure and to continue the dissemination and speed up the multiplier effect.

6. 4 Multiplier Events: Dissemination of project outputs to the stakeholders and the target groups was conducted.

7. Open Access to materials, documents and media are provided that are useful for learning and training.

8. A sustainable network for the continuous training of entrepreneurs was generated.

9. A best practice for young entrepreneurs at national and international levels was developed by implementing a new innovative project

10. Cooperation and Partnerships: By this project, continuous relations between the partners at the local, national and European level has been ensured. They have an impact on the internationalization of young entrepreneurship.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 210018,79 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF USAK & Country: TR

Project Partners

• UC LIMBURG
• DRUSTVO ZA RAZVIJANJE PROSTOVOLJNEGA DELA NOVO MESTO
• KM GROUP YATIRIM ONLINE DIS TIC. LTD. STI.
• USAK TICARET VE SANAYI ODASI
• APOSTOLINA TSALTAMPASI KAI SIA EE