United Services for Social Entreprises Erasmus Project

Project Title

United Services for Social Entreprises

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship); Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

“United Services for Social Enterprises” (USER-SE), was a project, created through a strategic partnership between six countries: Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, France, and Greece. The project addressed the main issues limiting the development of the Social Enterprise (SE) sector, such as the poor understanding of the role of this type of companies in society, the lack of visibility, the need for business development and support services such as tutoring and training programs, investment support, etc. The survival and growth of SE are influenced by internal factors such as the lack of feasible business models, high dependence on the public sector as a source of income, lack of commercial acumen, entrepreneurial spirit, and skills, managerial and professional skills necessary for strengthening the activity.

USER-SE sought to strengthen training, with an exchange of good practices and experiences in social entrepreneurship, increasing competencies within partner organizations. It has tried to disseminate and enhance the social approach in local communities by increasing the recognition and visibility of the social enterprises participating in the project. It then made available a support such as the one-stop services for social enterprise, which can strengthen the entrepreneurial culture, stimulate the approach to social enterprise and expand knowledge in the field of training.

Objectives of the project were:
– Promote the exchange of knowledge, experience, and good practices in the entrepreneurial field.
– Improve skills and abilities in social entrepreneurship
– Increase the sense of initiative and entrepreneurship
– Create a virtual tool for orientation, support, and advice on social enterprise
– Strengthen linguistic, digital, and intercultural skills
– Promote strategic cooperation at the international level

USER-SE involved staff members of the partnership formed by trainers, tutors, educators, training, and education professionals, three for each partner institution.

USER-SE has developed 6 training activities on social enterprise and 3 transnational meetings. At the end of the project, the :
– “One-Stop Service for Social Enterprise online” (https://userseerasmus.wixsite.com/home)
“- Report on best practices” were achieved.

The project benefited from a participatory methodology and design thinking approach, consistent with the exchange of experiences and peer learning.

The impact for the participants was the:
– Improvement of knowledge and skills in social entrepreneurship.
– Development of training methods, social technologies and consultancy skills in aspects related to social enterprise.
– Improvement of communication skills in another language.
– Increased motivation in social entrepreneurship and the learning activities developed.
– Strengthening the approach to social entrepreneurship and the link with their profession.

In the partner institutions it was:
– Improvement of work management skills and international activities.
– Improvement knowledge and skills of their staff
– Development of international relations between partnerships and public and private institutions.
– Reinforcement of the relationship with the social enterprises visited.
– The “One-stop service for Social Enterprise online” and the “Report on best practices” created, are important tools to support social enterprises.

In the Stakeholders:
– Social entrepreneurs improved their skills in developing learning activities within their companies.
– Social enterprises have an information and network tool, useful for their activities.
– Greater awareness of social entrepreneurship
– Increased visibility of social enterprises visited in the learning activity.

The main results of USER-SE are a tool for development and training in the field of social enterprises.

Project Website

https://userseerasmus.wixsite.com/home

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 129390 Eur

Project Coordinator

Istituto Regionale per la Formazione e la ricerca & Country: IT

Project Partners

• Chatzi A. -Roupa E. O.E.
• ASSOCIACIO PER A LA CREACIO I ESTUDIS DE PROJECTES SOCIALS C.E.P.S.
• CENTRE RESSOURCES AROBASE
• Bruxelles Europe asbl
• COMPARATIVE RESEARCH NETWORK EV