"""Level Up!"" is a project focused on analyzing good practices related to non-formal education of adults in 3 European countries: Poland, Latvia and Spain. The analysis is to concern the development of methods of systematic improvement of trainers (trainers) for adults (increasing the quality, extension of the offer) and adaptation of the training content to participants with low professional skills and with specific needs. The analysis of training systems targeted at adults in terms of non-formal education is to take place in particular to a group of people from the NEET group (not learning, not working, not involved in raising their competences and qualifications). The following will be analyzed: ways of reaching individual groups, diversification of training methods, preparation and support of trainers, evaluation in the educational process and long-term effects of training. The project will start with the preparation of documentation and a thorough analysis of the subject of the study. An analysis process and results that researchers want to achieve through conducting it will be prepared. Next, the team will focus on preparing analysis among the community using previously selected institutions. The methods will be interviews, questionnaires, in-depth interviews with selected groups. The methods used will be identical in all countries. Then the material will be analyzed and diagnosed. The presented problems will be divided according to their respective categories. Then consultations will be conducted with the community of these places and focus groups with selected experts in the field corresponding to the study. The result of this phase should be recommendations of changes in given places with their impact.The project lasts 24 months during which 7 international meetings will be held, including 3 on the exchange of good practices. Each meeting will gather 12 participants from partner countries. The result of the project will be the publication of good coaching practices based on the partners' own experience. The long-term sustainability of the project will be ensured through a comprehensive database of key stakeholder contacts. This will enable the project to move to the next development phase, which will be a continuation of the practical use of collected good practices by trainers, teachers, social workers etc. The website and other internet networks will continue to allow communication of all future opportunities, work and research as well as participation in future events.Our project in numbers:- min. 12 experts involved in the work on the project in our 3 organisations.- 12 learners involved in the project directly and around 30 indirectly interested thanks to best practice sharing- 12 completed evaluation questionnaires at each stage of the project- 5 other institutions willing to cooperate with project partners- 10 new trainers willing to use the program and methods we will create in their future work (min. 2 at the level of a partner organization) - using new curricula for trainers."

<< Background >>In the last decades, NGOs have faced different and consecutive crises: the 2008 financial crisis and the current COVID crisis. These events have put into a delicate position these organisations in terms of financing resources. Most of their incomes come from public funds which are decreasing year every year. On the other hand, their profits coming from private corporations are not a reliable source of income. Therefore, they are obliged to find new models to generate profits that could make sustainable their services. Apart from that, this project will help them to offer new services to their target groups. For example, they could provide entrepreneurial services to persons at risk of exclusion they are working with. DRAGGING project results will meet all these needs by creating several project results that could be transformed into different services and tools for its target groups.Regarding local public administrations, the model proposed by DRAGGING will help them to create local synergies with local social services providers. Local public administrations mostly are not aware of the capacities and services local NGOs and local third sector organisations could provide. Therefore, they launch calls for providers that normally are won by other non-local corporations specialised in such calls. Our approach consists in reduce the gap between local administrations and local social organisations in order to generate a bank of business opportunities to which these organisations may apply. DRAGGING will set up the tools and the methodology that will make this possible.<< Objectives >>DRAGGING has a clear objective, to help with the following three challenges: to diversify the sources of income for NGOs, take advantage of new legislations/public hiring opportunities and generate job opportunities for people at risk of exclusion. This will be done by training professionals through a mentoring process where they will be provided with training in different subjects (business strategy, finance, marketing, etc.) while consulting work on the ideal business model is carried out to meet all administration needs. Everything will serve to create companies together with people at risk of exclusion with whom they are working with and to cover the main need, employment.<< Implementation >>The activities that we are planning to implement are:1. Conduct a territorial analysis that will provide us information about the stakeholders involved and the challenges to be faced. Furthermore, this mapping will help us to identify the potential participants in the project activities at an early stage.2. In order to generate business ideas, we will create focus group in which public administrations and other stakeholders such as companies and/or business professionals will provide and discuss these ideas. Afterward, these ideas will be analysed and business models to develop them will be drafted. Once analysed and develop these business models will be upload to the online marketplace developed to this end.3. A online digital course will be created to provide support to the persons at risk of exclusion that will decide to entrepreneur with NGOs. 15 courses at the EU level will be analysed in terms of contents, learning methodologies, and follow-up KPIs. Mentors and entrepreneurs will validate these contents. Also, it will be created an online platform to include the contents and provide the training.4. As impact is really important to social projects, we will generate a methodological approach to measure the impact of our new entrepreneurs and the activities carried out within the project. The deliverable will be a practical methodology to provide figures and details on the impact generated by the project.<< Results >>DRAGGING will produce 4 PRs:PR1. Territorial analysis on the most important stakeholders and challenges.PR2. An online business ideas marketplace where the business ideas arose from the cooperation amongst stakeholders will be placed.PR3. A digital training course focused on those persons at risk of exclusion (involved in a NGO) willing to create their own micro-companies.PR4. A methodology to measure the impact of social entreprises.Also, the project will produce the following TANGIBLE OUTCOMES:1 Material generated by the action:-- Questionnaires for the focus groups in PR1.-- Report on business opportunities and entrepreneurial mentoring challenges in PR1.-- Local agreements to foster entrepreneurial mentoring of people at risk of exclusion.-- Creation of a methodological framework for business ideas.-- The design of mentoring.-- Report on training needs for the online course.-- Report on the entrepreneurship training course at EU level.-- The design of a Business Manual for the online course.-- Training contents in wiki format.-- Analysis Report on social impact measurement.-- New set of indicators to measure impact.2 Communication materials:-- Best practices related to the experiences and the work done in each project result.-- Success stories.-- Communication materials: infographics, leaflets, website, press releases, news, etc.-- Increase the number of youngsters hired in the partners' local areas.-- A total of 150 people will attend the Multiplier Events and 600 will be contacted by email (100 per member). -- It is estimated that the impact of the project's website will receive 1,000 visits, supporting its dissemination from the Social Networks. -- Presentations for the 60 visits to different entities explaining the project will be made during the project (10 per partner) -- All the contents and news will be done to be disseminated through the different Social Networks of the partners (Linkedin, Facebook, Youtube, etc.), creating a multiplying effect and generating 18,000 visualizations during the project, 3,000 per partner.3 Direct impacts:-- Number of NGO professionals participating in the project: 40 directly (5 per NGO) and some 200 contacted in 3 countries-- Number of entrepreneurs at risk of exclusion: 9 directly (3 in 3 countries) and approx 60 contacted-- Number of local and regional authorities: 9, 3 in 3 countries-- Number of teachers/mentors from the business environment: about 8 directly involved in the training and about 60 contacted-- Number of chambers of commerce: 6 informed, at least 1 per member-- Number of business associations: 30 informed, at least 5 per member-- Number of incubators: 12 informed, at least 2 per partner-- Number of technology centres: 12 informed, at least 2 per partner

<< Background >>Since 2015, migration has risen high on the agendas of governments and development partners, following its historic inclusion in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and as a response to large flows of migrants and refugees that have occurred in different parts of the world. In September 2016, governments adopted the New York Declaration, which calls for strengthening international cooperation on migration and forced displacement and forthe development and adoption of two collaborative instruments – a global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, and a global compact on refugees. Both compacts emphasize the issue of socioeconomic integration of both migrants and refugees, including through support to self-employment and entrepreneurship. They are based on the premise that migrants and refugees can contribute positively to the development of communities back at home or in their new places of residence, provided that their skills, capabilities and entrepreneurial spirit – often acquired in migration – are given sufficient support and recognition.<< Objectives >>- to support the entrepreneurship of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees- to involved professionals from business and social areas in educational communities for inclusive entrepreneurship- to identify business opportunities for migrants, asylum seekers and refugees- to design and implement a digital environment for business incubation and mentoring- to develop a application for financial and legal assessment of new entrepreneurs with migrant or refugee background<< Implementation >>PR1 - Methodological toolkit to involve business professionals in incubation programmes: those professionals will participate as trainers or mentors in mentoring programs fostering the entrepreneurship of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. Recruiting social and business profesionals (CESIE):1.1 Setting up a survey1.2. Mapping ecosystems1.3 Defining criterias for profesionals participation 1.4 Awarness campaign and call for profesionals1.5 Designing volunteering plansPR2 - Online tool to collect and disseminate business ideas for migrant persons at risk of exclusion: those business models will be sustainable, quickly profitable, and with a high replicability potential. Identification of business opportunities for migrant persons at risk of exclusion ( MEATH ):2.1 Definition of selection criterias2.2 Local workshops with NGOs and business companies2.3 Technological development2.4 Designing mentoring plans2.5 Updating bank of ideasPR3 - Digital platform for financial and legal assessment: this will consist of an application that will allow people at risk of exclusion, who want to start an economic activity, to find information about the economic possibilities and current legal provisions. Offering free assesment for financial and legal aspects in entrepreneurship (Learning Wizzard):3.1 A Study on existing mechanisms3.2 Identification of the needs3.3 Application design (BETA version)3.4 Testing phase:3.5 Application completion:PR4 - Online platform to implement incubation programmes for migrant persons at risk of exclusion: through this PR we will design and develop a specific digital environment to support inclusive incubation processes. Developing a digital environment for business incubation (ACV):4.1 Analysing training/incubation experiences for migrant people at risk of exclusion4.2 Defining incubation curricula4.3 Contents and ressources design 4.4 Defining monitoring and evaluation schemes 4.5 Testing and validating the tool<< Results >>The expected impacts of the different activities are: WP1: PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION> At local / regional levels:Creation of local stakeholder groups involved at local in the different project steps; Development of implementation and management models mixing social, educational and business sectors. > At national and/or international levels: Creation of reports, indicators and management models that could be used on a major scale; WP2: COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION> Project website in 6 languages>9 newsletters introducing main project development, outputs and outcomes> 9 videoclips created> Press clipping in 6 different countriesWP3: Recruiting social and business professionals > Contact with at least 80 companies, NGOs and public administrations in 4 countries ( local / regional)> At least 40 questionnaires and analysed to identify the interest of profesional to engaged in entrepreneurship programmes for migrant people (National/european) > Analyse and report of 4 local ecosystems (regional)> Definition of selection process and set of selection criteria for mentors recruitment (european)> Call for professionals and online campaign in all project languages ( regional / national)> Definition of new models for volunteering and/or collaboration plans (national / european)WP4 Identification of business ideas for migrants> Contact with at least 60 companies, NGOs and public administrations in 4 countries (Local / regional)> Definition of a methodological framework to identify and to analyse business opportunities for migrant persons (national / european) > Organisation of at least 4 workshops in 4 countries (local / regional)> At least 24 professionals from NGOs and business contributing to bank of ideas (local / regional)> 8 new business ideas for migrant persons (european)> Creating digital platform to explain and disseminate business ideas (european) > 8 mentoring plans draft (european) WP5 Developing an digital assessment system for financial and legal conditions for migrants> List of the financial and legal mechanisms existing in the partner countries (european)> At least 6 focus groups involving NGOS, incubators and entrepreneurs involved (local/ regional)> 1 transnational focus group organized online (european)> 1 Beta version ready to be tested (european)> 32 new migrant entrepreneurs involved in testing the new platform (local)> 1 evaluation session organized in each country (national)WP6 Developing a digital environment for business incubation (ACV)> 12 incubation experiences/models analysed (european)> At least 6 focus groups involving NGOS, incubators and entrepreneurs organized to plan incubation model (local / regional)> Development of an online inclusive incubation toolkits (european)> Digital environment for business incubation and mentoring of seniors (european)> 6 modules on entrepreneurship designed (european)> 18 teachers/mentors participating (national)> 32 new entrepreneurs from 4 countries involved (local / regional / national)

<< Background >>Rural areas of European Union are suffering a continously depopulation process. This situation in generating a lack of local services that made even more complicated in some areas. However COVID 19 crisis revealed the attractiveness of those areas for many people willing to leave urban environments. In that way it is urgent to identify needs and opportunities in those areas and to impulse local mecanism to foster entrepreneurship initiatives that could provide new services and better fix the population. Through this project we want to act on 6th priority of Rural Development policy: (6A) Facilitating diversification, creation and development of small enterprises, as well as job creation; (FA 6B) Fostering local development in rural areas / FA 6C: Enhancing the accessibility, use and quality of information and communication technologies (ICT) in rural areas.<< Objectives >>The main objetives of this project are:- To foster entrepreneurship for persons at risk of exclusion in rural areas- To map the relevant stakeholders and to foster local ecosystems to support entrepreneurship education- To identify business opportunities and to set up a bank of entrepreneurship ideas for local group at risk of exclusion: young people, women, migrants...- To develop digital methodologies and tools that foster business incubation and start up in rural areas- To develop a digital assessment system for legal and financial matters in entrepreneurship<< Implementation >>PR1 - Reports on territorial/sectorial analyses to foster business incubation for persons at risk of exclusion: The objective of this intellectual methodology is to define a methodology for territorial or sectorial analyse regarding the entrepreneurship of people at risk of exclusion within rural areas. Rural ecosystems mapping (Leader ARID):1.1 Stakeholders mapping1.2 Focus group and interviews1.3 Entrepreneurship strategic planning1.4 Creation of the digital map1.5 Public-private agreementsPR2 - Online tool to collect and disseminate business ideas for persons at risk of exclusion: Through this PR, we will work together with companies in order to identify business ideas that could be undertaken by people at risk of exclusion. Bank of sustainable business ideas (Leader 7 Vents):2.1 Definition of selection criterias2.2 Business ideas identification workshops2.3 Technological development2.4 Designing mentoring plans for bank of ideas2.5 Updating bank of ideasPR3 - Digital platform for financial and legal assessment: this will consist of an application that will allow people at risk of exclusion, who want to start an economic activity, to find information about the economic possibilities and current legal provisions. Financial and legal tools (Leader: MEATH):3.1 Research: Identification of the needs and study of existing mechanisms3.2 Mapping financial and legal conditions for entrepreneurship in each country3.3 Application design (BETA version)3.4 Testing phase:3.5 Application completion:PR4 - Online platform to implement incubation programmes for people at risk of exclusion: we will design and develop a specific digital environment to support sustainable incubation processes. Digital environment for business incubation (Leader ACV):4.1 Analysing training/incubation experiences for people at risk of exclusion4.2 Defining incubation curricula (+translation)4.3 Technological development and contents design 4.4 Testing and validating the tool4.5 Finalising digital incubation environement<< Results >>The expected impacts of the different activities are: WP1: PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION> At local / regional levels:Creation of local stakeholder groups involved in the different project steps; Development of implementation and management models mixing social, educational and business sectors. > At national and/or international levels: Creation of reports, indicators and management models that could be used on a major scale; WP2: COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATIONProject website in 6 different languages9 newsletters introducing main project development, outputs and outcomes9 videoclips / audiovisual createdPress clipping in 6 different countriesSocial media dissemination and marketing strategy WP3: SECTORIAL / TERRITORIAL ANALYSIS4 territories/regions mapped (local/regional)Contact with at least 80 companies, NOGs, rural entities and public administrations in 4 countries (local/regional)12 social actors, 12 companies involved, 4 representatives of business ecosystems and 4 representatives of public authorities directly involved in mapping activities: interviews, focus groups… (local/regional)Report on business opportunities, stakeholders involvement and incubation challenges within rural areas (national / european)Set of criterias and indicators established and incubation for rural areas strategies defined and adapted to 4 regions (local / regional / national / european)Models for public/private agreements on business incubation of persons at risk of exclusion within the rural sector (national / european)WP4: CREATION OF A BANK OF BUSINESS IDEAS IN RURAL AREASMethodological framework for to identify and analyse business ideas (European)Contact with at least 80 companies in 4 countries to identify business opportunities (local/regional/national)Organisation of at least 4 workshops and involvement of at least 24 professionals or companies analysing business ideas (local/regional)8 new business ideas identified and 8 mentoring plans draft (European)8 companies + 16 entrepreneurs involved in evaluating business ideas and mentoring plans (local/regional/national)Online environment developed to present business ideas and to facilitate exchanges within entrepreneurs and mentors communities (European)WP5: FINANCIAL AND LEGAL TOOLSFocus group involving professionals from business and social sectors in each country involved (local)On transnational focus group organized online (European)Definition of mapping criterias (European)List of the financial and legal mechanisms existing in the partner countries (local)24 new entrepreneurs involved in testing the new platform (local/regional/national)At least 1 evaluation session organized in each country (local)WP6: DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS INCUBATIONAt least 6 focus groups involving NGOs, incubators and entrepreneurs involved (1 in each country) (local)Analysing training/incubation experiences for people at risk of exclusion (12 experiences/model) (local)Involvement of at least 8 companies in incubation programme (local/regional)1 incubation programme schemes (European)4 locally adapted incubation programme set (local / regional) 30 persons at risk of exclusion engaged as new entrepreneurs within 3 pilot Incubation programmes (local/regional) At least 18 professionals from social and business sector engaged as trainers or mentors (local/regional) Online toolkit for to implement inclusive incubation within rural sectors

SOCIAL SEED aims to design a new methodology to incubate socially excluded groups to entrepreneur - with an innovative approach- supported by private companies.It will be validated how should be a hybrid model of cooperation between NGOs and companies, analyzing best practices, educational content, and incubating 15 entrepreneurs coming from socially excluded groups together with business companies.And finally giving all that knowledge and know-how back to all NGOs and public administrations over Europe as a methodology. It will help to solve two main problems of European Union: unemployment & situation of 83 million people socially excluded. With this aim, SOCIAL SEED partnership is made by 6 entities from 4 countries ( Spain, Germany, Italy & Poland) 1) F. INICIATIVAS: consultancy company specialized in innovation & with its own private incubator. It’s the direct connection with the business world. (SP) 2) ISM-MAINZ: social research institute, related with public administration and university networks. Wide experience in best practices & European job market. (DE) 3) ANZIANI: NGO focused on entrepreneurship & social inclusion. Experience in incubating companies from excluded groups & microcredit management. (IT) 4) BISER: Baltic institute of European & Regional affairs. Strong relationship with companies and social entities in their region. Diverse range of experiences in sustainable development and social entrepreneurship. (PL) 5) ASOCIACIÓN CON VALORES: NGO with business approach. It’s members are business professionals which allows them to create business solutions to social challenges. (SP) 6) SOCIAL LAB: consortium of different social cooperatives in the south of Italy. Wider experience in designing and creating of business for excluded groups. (IT) The main goals of SOCIAL SEED in its 30 months of duration are: - to design a incubation methodology for excluded groups to entrepreneur. - to build up a social incubator - to crate a new business model of cooperation between companies & NGOs. - to develop a formative course focused on needs and limitations of those entrepreneurs (excluded groups) - to innovate on ecobomiallly sustainable business models to restart a dignified life. - to let as many people as possible this tool for entrepreneur ecosystems’, NGOs, private companies, public administrations, etc. SOCIAL SEED propose to generate 4 Intellectual Outputs (IOs)IO1.- “How to create a social incubator” Guidelines: analyzing best practices in Europe, structuring ideal incubator phases, timing, limitations, risks’ management of people with socially excluded backgrounds. IO2.- Design of formative content course for socially excluded groups to entrepreneur. Existing courses will be analyzed an upgraded to create adequate knowledge for the needs for those collectives. IO3.- Pilot incubator validation paper. It will be validate it working with 15 entrepreneurs coming from excluded backgrounds who will work on micro-niche business opportunities identified by private companies. It will reveal the partnership the most nuclear information of SOCIAL SEED. IO4.- Previous Outputs will lead to a MOOC, which will bring together a course to train NGOs, public administrations y companies over Europe to create a new business model of cooperation between private companies & NGOs. The direct impact that SOCIAL SEED activities’ will have at the consortium and the target groups are: - 120 direct NGO professionals and workers enrolled in the project (around 20 per partner) + 200 contacted in 4 countries. - 15 entrepreneurs being nominee for the pilot + 50 contacted at the pre-selection rounds. - 10 mentors/trainers for the incubator directly involved at the incubator + 100 contacted. - 5 companies involved at the incubator + 50 companies contacted. SOCIAL SEED impact over the partnership will be:- 4 multiplier events/workshops (E1 to E4) - 1 final event organized with the assistance of more than 100 entities from social work, business sector, entrepreneurs ecosystems’, universities, technological research centers and public local and regional administrations. - an incubator methodology for social excluded groups using the private companies micro-niche analyses. - an entrepreneurial course for excluded groups. - “how to create SOCIAL SEED incubator in 10 steps” validated paper. SOCIAL SEED methodology will be the needed tool to empower socially excluded groups through ENTREPRENEURSHIP; building a more FAIR & INCLUSIVE Europe.