Social SME Academy Erasmus Project

Project Title

Social SME Academy

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 youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Project Summary

According to the European Commission’s report on unemployment, in 2015, more than 6,6 million young people (aged 15-24 years) were neither in employment nor in education or training (NEETs) in the EU. In addition, half of the unemployed people are currently long-term unemployed, that is, unemployed for more than 12 months. As a result of this situation, poverty and social exclusion are affecting an increasing number of young people. However social enterprise, can reverse this tendency.
Social enterprise creates sustainable growth by considering environmental impact and people and social cohesion. The social economy and social enterprises have managed to overcome economic and financial crisis, demonstrating the ability to overcome through social innovation. Indeed, a report on Social enterprise and social economy, endorsed during the 11th GECES (2016), shows that: in 2010, the social economy provided work to 14.5 million Europeans and, according to the latest estimates, it currently accounts for 10% of jobs in the EU and 8% of EU GDP.
Nevertheless, young social entrepreneurs lack specialised training, visibility, support networks and often need motivational, technical and financial support.
The project is needed, not only to give them the necessary skills and tools to carry out their ideas, but also to prepare them for a rapidly changing world, in which traditional jobs tend to disappear or to evolve. Learners should be given the opportunity to develop general skills such as problems solving, decisions making and risks assessing, which employers value.     
Our project will target people among 15-29 years old, both those who want to learn how to strengthen soft skills which are particularly sought-after by employers, and young would-be entrepreneurs who will be supported through a methodology already tested with success in more than 5 European countries.
The Social SME Academy project aims to promote social entrepreneurship among young people by fostering their creativity and giving them support in starting up their entrepreneurial ideas through a Business Incubator Coaching Programme.
The 24 months project is composed of 4 main parts.
1. Initially, partners will develop an Online Handbook on Societal Challenges faced by partners’ countries, which analyses current trends in Social Entrepreneurship, its diffusion in Europe (with particular focus on partners’ countries) and define the research basis for the development of the Social Entrepreneurship Manual (O2).The Handbook will be uploaded to the online platform as OER.
2. In the 2nd phase, on the base of O1, The Social Entrepreneurship Manual will be developed, to indicate steps that young people have to follow in order to become social entrepreneurs.
The manual will including also a solid needs assessment which analyses the views of young people and youth workers at a European and national level, starting from the existing know-how based on the previous experience of the partners which developed another similar project together, desk researches & practical experience of the partners.
3. In the 3rd phase, 50 young aspiring entrepreneurs will participate to the BUSINESS INCUBATOR COACHING PROGRAMME that will be organised in the partners’ countries. Young people from all over Europe will be assisted during their startup phase, through direct and online mentoring and tutoring, in order to shape their business ideas in the social field and develop their hard and soft skills.
4. In the 4th phase, Partners will develop a number of 10 video tutorials (2 X each partner) based on the training materials used for the pilots and the Manual of Best Practices (O2). These videos will be uploaded to Social SME Academy website and on the YouTube channel and then they will be disseminated thanks to a strong online campaign. The videos will be used to strengthen the relationship with our target group of young people and attract more potential users by approaching them in a direct and practical way.
The project Social SME Academy is based on an innovative methodology for startups and early-stage enterprises, providing support and access to the world of social entrepreneurship, thanks to integration of benefits offered by the Business Incubator Coaching Programme, containing useful training and inspiring resources, and those of BTFJCM (Bridging to the Future Job Creation Model) methodology.
The project offers strong impact towards youth willing to undertake entrepreneurial experience in social field by empowering their skills and competences and supporting them in creation of new businesses.
INTELLECTUAL OUTPUTS
• IO1 – Online handbook on Societal Challenges in each partner Country
• O2 – Youth Social Entrepreneurship Manual & Self-assessment test for would-be Entrepreneurs
• O3 – Startup Accelerator & Business Incubator Coaching Programme
• O4 – SSME Academy Video Tutorials
MULTIPLIER EVENTS
• National Dissemination Workshops in each participating country

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 134470 Eur

Project Coordinator

BRIDGING TO THE FUTURE LTD & Country: UK

Project Partners

• C4G – CONSULTING AND TRAINING NETWORK, LDA
• SPOLECZNA AKADEMIA NAUK
• FUNDACION CENTRO EUROPEO DE EMPRESAS E INNOVACION DE MURCIA
• JO CONSULTING SRL