Social entrepreneurship development in Baltic Sea region Erasmus Project

Project Title

Social entrepreneurship development in Baltic Sea region

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 2014

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

BACKGROUND:
EUROPE 2020 states that growth has to be delivered through strong emphasis on job creation and poverty reduction. Social entrepreneurship (SE) is exactly new method to be used to overcome existing challenges as main aim of social entrepreneurship is to bring – positive impact of society. In the “Social economy and social entrepreneurship”‘ Social Europe Guide Volume 4 ( 2013) it is said that several key challenges of Social economy are found and those are: lack of visibility; lack of specialised training; lack of support network and infrastructure; access to finance; lack of uniform regulation.
7 SE support organisation across the Baltic Sea developed idea to have a better educational and overall support for SE in Baltic Sea region.

OBJECTIVES:
– Facilitate SE sector development in Baltic Sea region through proper adults’ education;
– Educate public bodies, municipalities, NGO’s and other players about relevant tools of SE support at national and regional level;
– Research SE and share research findings, incorporate those in the legislative, education and other support methods and tools;
– Promote OER (open educational resource) also as a network and startup tool to start national and cross border SE activities;

TARGET GROUP:
Project intends to work with wide range of target groups to maximise the effect, ensuring that complex approach towards SE stimulation in Baltic Sea region, is efficient.
Public sector involved to get better understanding and cooperation with SE and at least 350 persons involved;
Adult learners is mostly characterized by the educational needs to be fulfilled of existing and possible SE startups, existing SE, NGO and other organisations.Those are going to be main adult learners to receive SE educational support.
In general, we foresee that created Intellectual Outputs and other intangible results are and will positively affect around 5000 – 50000 new and existing adult learners ( interested or involved in SE) and marginalized groups to be involved in SE . The range is given, taking into account number of inhabitants per country. The stated number is given per year, starting from the 2nd year of project realization.

ACTIVITIES:
ACTIVITY 1 Study of SE educational and other type of support, SE impact assessment methods in the Baltic Sea Region countries.
ACTIVITY 2 Develop three different SE educational support materials for different stakeholders groups.
a)educational videos in national languages about SE situation, support and best cases of SE in specific country;
b) educational material about impact measurement;
c) educational material about social business models.
ACTIVITY 3 Guidelines “How to stimulate SE start-ups in Baltic sea region” .
Develop guidelines for optimal path for SE to enter the market and break down barriers in this respect.The material is developed in the form of proposals /recommendations.
ACTIVITY 4 OER – Baltic Sea Region platform for open education and networking on SE.
OER will be main tool to disseminate during project developed results, connect existing webpages of partners, stimulate networking of stakeholders and SE in region.

RESULTS :
1. Reliable and updated information collected and used to improve general and SE ADULT EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT.

2. GUIDELINES CREATED for public institutions and other stakeholders to foster SE SUPPORT AND EDUCATION OF SE by public sector.

3. EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT for new and existing SE in Baltic sea region created and available through OER.

4. OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCE and networking tool developed and functioning.
Develop OER, where all created materials during the project will be easy accessible at one set. As well promote cooperation in between SE start-ups, to foster up with with cross-border SE ideas. Use OER also as a networking tool, where best practices from Baltic sea region SE’s leads to cooperation.

OTHER INTANGIBLE. At first, creation of network of Baltic/Nordic countries, share best practices of social business support. Second, “Round table” discussions, followed by result oriented problem solving and networking of different national stakeholders, are innovate practices to be started in social business area development in Nordic/Baltic network.

BENEFITS:
We foresee that at Baltic Sea region benefits currently and for future will be:
– Improvement of SE educational support available in different languages for self-study approach;
– Awareness of SE and cooperation and education possibilities;
– Availability of new OER;
– Improvement of networking facilities to allow more effective co-operation between organizations involved in work with SE and cross-border;
– Better supported educational methods of SE from public bodies;
– Improved cooperation with public bodies and other stakeholders to support SE in region;
– Development of SE economy in Baltic Sea region.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 159826,25 Eur

Project Coordinator

SOCIALAS INOVACIJAS CENTRS & Country: LV

Project Partners

• Social Entrepreneurship Academy of Finland co-operative
• Sociale Entreprenører i Danmark (Social Entrepreneurs in Denmark)
• MTÜ Sotsiaalsete Ettevõtete Võrgustik
• Centrum Rozwoju Inicjatyw Spolecznych CRIS
• Social Kapital Forum
• Socialines ir ekonomines pletros centras
• Socialiniu investiciju fondas