<< Objectives >>DREAM (Digital Resilience for European Microenterprises) is innovative and timely as it tackles COVID-19 challenges and digitalization in the 2 worlds of VET and MSME with the objectives of:- support micro and small businesses by providing up-to-date training to help them cope with digital transformation and adapt to post-pandemic; - adapt VET to market needs via mapping and increase its flexibility via DREAM OER Digital Lab.- enrich the provision of formal/non-formal VET across EU.<< Implementation >>The activities envisaged are:- Develop DREAM Digital Lab, multilanguage open tool for the transmission of digital knowledge for MSMEs embracing digital entrepreneurship in postpandemic economy- Mapping economic impact of COVID on MSMEs and their digitalization process - Develop and translate learner-centred training contents in 6 languages- Develop DREAM position paper for MSMEs Digital readiness- Perform management activities- Monitor Quality and Financial Accuracy- Promotion & Sharing<< Results >>Results-At least 120 MSME trained-Report to map post-COVID digitalization challenges-Free tested trainings in 6 languages delivered online via Digital Lab-Impact on microenterprises, entrepreneurs, VET system in support of entrepreneurship-Increased resilience and competitiveness of MSMEs-Enhanced VET to adapt to markets’ needs in post-pandemicDREAM results currently do not exist, it bridges gaps with up-to-date training & tools specifically targeted at MSMEs in a pan-Eu perspective

CONTEXT/BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT Context:-The crisis of the labour market system in Europe, in particular in Southern Europe;-The appearance of a need is linked to the socioeconomic stability of the nucleolus; -There is a system of opportunities for the socio-employment/self employment integration of disadvantaged people.Therefore, the project focused on deepening these opportunities, working on social clauses, thus widening the spectrum on interventions Therefore, the project interacted with other service systems (social and health services, social cooperation, employment services) in order to: -increase the services' reading ability of the skills and competences of the disadvantaged person that are necessary for social and labour inclusion;-extend the range of employment inclusion and training opportunities for disadvantaged people.OBJECTIVESContribute to the improvement and modernization of policies, strategies and measures related to the training and social and labour inclusion of disadvantaged people. Specific objective: increase the opportunities for training, self-employment and job placement of disadvantaged people in the context of procurements, conventions and entrustment of goods/services by the Public Administration. NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONS -10 partners of the project from 3 countries: Italy, Spain and Slovenia, in the following categories: one Educational Vocational Training Centre, one NGO, one Local Public body and one research institute in Italy; two foundations (one of which is public) and one Local Public body in Spain; one foundation, one NGO and one Regional Public body in Slovenia;-32 organisations involved in various capacities during the development of the project: five Social Services; two Social and Health Services; one Regional Public body, four Employment Centres, six Associations, ten Social Cooperatives, two Training Institution, one Social Enterprise, one Religious moral body. ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT DURING THE PROJECT:Analysis of regulations and good practices related to public procurement with social clausesDefinition of a tool for training, support and social and work integration/self-employment of disadvantaged people and an easy to use compendiumInterviews with operators of social services, employment centres, administration agencies, start-up incubators in order to define the training needs of operatorsDefinition of technical and professional skills for all the operators involved at all levels in the social and occupational integration/self-employment of disadvantaged peoplePreparation of the four training modules for operators, equipped with boards, questionnaires, module development models Application of models and tools: n. 21 courses for disadvantaged users, n. 265 participants, n. 3 courses on social clauses, n. 23 participants, n. 9 procurement with social causesElaboration of the evaluation plan and evaluation of the models. EXPECTED RESULTS:Increase the employability through the application of social clauses in public procurementImprove and widen the network of partners and transmit the training models and guidelines prepared for their application even in areas that are not involved in the partnershipImprovement of the design and management skills of the training to support the social/work/self-employment integration of disadvantaged people in relation to the work of contamination and permeation of different cultures of reference. METHODOLOGY USED IN THE PROJECTThe project involved the comparative analysis and the elaboration and, therefore, the sharing of guidelines, tools, training models, evaluation models aimed at increasing the possibilities of integration into the world of work of disadvantaged people. EXPECTED IMPACT AND LONG-TERM BENEFITS Output O1 created a theoretical operational product that can potentially be spread and applicable not only among PMT members, but also in the European context. Enhancement of the opportunities for social and working inclusion of disadvantaged people and at the same time improve the quality and effectiveness of training programmes for operators. Models for training operators will continue to be used after the trial, which will allow them to be further disseminated.A system-wide, long-term impact was also provided in terms of improving the network of services for training, inclusion and work in order to significantly increase the effectiveness and efficiency of all services involved in the training and integration of disadvantaged people.

<< Background >>STARLIGHT intends to focus mainly on three aspects.The first refers to tourism sector condition. Despite Europe remains the n°1 tourism destination in the world, European tourism is confronted with many challenges, starting with the need to constantly innovate and improve quality. The sector must quickly adapt to the digital revolution and develop new attractive products in a sustainable manner for local communities and the environment. The challenge is today even more relevant, as the COVID19 emergency outbreaks in the world: the impact on the tourism sector is going to be severe and 2020 will remain a year the marks a change in how tourism is perceived and experienced. This situation implies that new skills, competences and knowledge will be needed, both for young professionals and for experienced operators.The second aspect refers to a lack of competences registered by tourism employers. In fact, they tend to report a shortage in applications from individuals with the necessary skills, particularly in relation to higher skilled and professional roles, in terms of a lack of “work-ready” graduates, often having undertaken courses that employers consider too theoretical or lacking practical work experience. There are skill shortages –and a lack of provision– in emerging areas, notably accessible tourism, that need to be addressed. The third aspect refers to light pollution, an environmental problem affecting ecosystems, biodiversity and natural life behaviour. In fact, light causes problems both to plants and animals (from birds, to reptiles, night predators, insects), living on cycles dictated by the sun and accustomed to the day and night rhythm and/or vulnerable to artificial light. The arrival of the powerful artificial light has negatively affected animal behaviour in mating, migration, sleeping, and hunting, with impacts also in reproduction and foraging for food. STARLIGHT would like to increase knowledge on this topic and increase awareness, contributing at the creation of public debate. In this aspect stands the innovation of this project: up to the partnership knowledge, there are no specific courses dedicated to dark sky observation as tourism asset, merging scientific popularisation on light pollution impacts and astronomy with skills and competence on tourist offers (experiential purchase and territorial/digital marketing).The project has an evident transnational added value: tourism is transnational and persons willing to operate in this sector need European (when not international) perspectives and mobility opportunities. Even if they work locally, they need to be able to understand tourists’ expectations and culture. Thus, undertaking a transnational training experience provides this possibility.<< Objectives >>STARLIGHT project aims at increasing job opportunities for young Europeans (18-30) with an education/training background in tourism and upskilling for already active operators in the tourism sector, identifying innovative sectors, in line with market trends and specifically the promotion of dark skies observation as a competitive asset for sustainable and experiential tourism. Despite the relevance of Europe as tourism destination, the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector has been severe and still in 2021 tourism will pay the consequences in terms of how it will be perceived and experiences. New elements will enter the scene and tourism offers will need to be re-thought, to improve the perception of “safe tourism” and respond to a decrease of “mass tourism”.Thus, new skills, competences and knowledge will be needed, both for young professionals and for experienced operators.STARLIGHT and its partnership covering 6 European countries (Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Austria and Germany) will involve 60 participants to learn scientific notions on astronomy, biodiversity and light pollution, then they will be asked to attend Webinars, participate to a hackathon to produce an innovative business, build an experience boxes to be sold to tourists and, finally learn how to tell the story of our skies and transform this into a job opportunity.STARLIGHT also intends to reply to main challenges in the recruitment system, ensuring that VET courses remain relevant to rapidly changing employer’s needs, among which there is a need for innovative and flexible forms of training to meet the skill needs of SMEs and family-run businesses, representing a high % of tourism sector. This is an attempt to reply to the lack of practical and “work-ready” skills for many applicants to higher skilled and professional roles.STARLIGHT will respond to these challenges, providing a training methodology based on a work-based experience, focusing on topics such as accessible/sustainable tourism, digital marketing, business planning, etc.Finally, STARLIGHT intends to support a positive transformation of tourism, creating greener and more sustainable holidays through the conception of Astrotourism. The project will provide a small contribution for a possible scenario for the short-medium period: a mostly proximity tourism centered on some fixed points, such as security (with particular attention to hygiene rules); nature, space and no crowding. Someone has defined this transition from overtourism to undertourism.To reach the above-mentioned objectives, the project will address two specific target groups:1.Young Europeans accessing the market with an education/training background in tourism (primary target group). The minimum level is high school graduation or VET qualification in sectors that belong to the tourism value chain (guides, hotel managers, tour operators, tour managers, etc.)2.Tourist operators already active in the sector. They can be entrepreneurs, employees, freelance, etc. The economic sectors include: 1) Accommodation 2) Gastronomy 3) Travel and tours 4) Destination management 5) Guiding and experience making.They will both be involved in all activities of the project, from training to dissemination and sustainability.<< Implementation >>STARLIGHT activities will focus on the production of three project results:- training material toolkit, to set up a comprehensive knowledge base to be used as learning material and inform on three dimensions affected by light pollution (astronomy, biodiversity,health and wellbeing, cultural and historic value of dark skies observation, entrepreneurship and career guidance);- webinars, to transform acquired knowledge into skills to operate on the market and engage the audience. They will be focuses on three main topics: i. scientific popularization on astronomy and biodiversity/nature preservation, with an explanation of the storytelling approach for scientific dissemination and tourist engagement; ii. Experiential Tourism, through case studies presentation/analysis; iii. entrepreneurship, territorial and digital marketing;- a summer school format, defining topics, methodologies, format agenda, etc. to convey competences through a transnational work-based learning experience and inspire participants, target groups, stakeholders, and larger public, passing the heritage of what STARLIGHT has initiated.These results will be applied during three training activities:- a summer school in Bulgaria, focused on entrepreneurship, digital marketing and customer care, experiential purchase, customer care, etc. This experience will provide a working guidance to be used in the future and tested in the following learning activities, supporting participants in building their own career;- a winter school in Italy, focused on territorial marketing, benefiting from economic operators’ direct participation. This experience will lead to the development of a joint tourist experiential package (the Experience Box) using the guidance developed in the previous summer school, the story telling approach and, if possible, the STARLAB tool;- a spring school in Spain, focused on biodiversity preservation and environment protection from light pollution, benefiting of the participation of local guides. This experience will lead to the co-creation (via Living Lab approach) of a joint tourist experiential package using the guidance developed in the previous summer school.four multiplier events will be organized to show and disseminate project results and introduce training activities:- Dark skies and stargazing: new skills for new jobs in the tourism sector, in Slovenia;- STARLIGHT SUMMER SCHOOL: build your own career in Astrotourism, in Bulgaria;- STARLIGHT WINTER SCHOOL: Territorial Marketing Experience Box, in Italy;- STARLIGHT SPRING SCHOOL: Nature and Biodiversity Experience Box, in Spain.<< Results >>STARLIGHT expected impacts are mainly on employability, but it also aims at being one of the (hopefully) many initiative trying to support the tourism sector after the COVID19 emergency, providing new skills, but also a “think tank” to redefine the tourism sector and shape it in a more sustainable way. Thus, STARLIGHT intends to respond to the above-mentioned challenges by providing a training methodology based on a work-based experience, focusing on topics such as accessible/sustainable tourism, digital marketing, business planning, etc., pairing them with what a Lonely Planet study considers a travel trend: across the planet, travelers are now seeking out the world’s last-remaining dark skies where they can get a clear, unpolluted view of the stars. Sadly, visual access to the night sky has, over the past century, become increasingly rare.The approach applied by the project to achieve results, can be described with 3 key-words:INFORM, to make the target groups aware of the importance of the topics addressed and of the opportunities STARLIGHT offers. ENGAGE, meaning to actively involve STARLIGHT target groups in project activities. INSPIRE, that is “passing” the heritage of what STARLIGHT developed to others, so that they acknowledge it and make it their own. The implementation of this approach will ensure the achievement of the following expected results: - Provision of Knowledge, Competences, and Skills at least 50 young Europeans (tourism new graduates or in VET) able to better respond to the tourism market challenges and trends- creation of a stable intergenerational exchange and work-based learning opportunities through the involvement of at least 10 tourism operators (e.g., guides, SMEs, etc.) already active on the market but willing to undertake upskilling pathways.- Integration of “dark skies observation” as a learning outcome within mainstream courses for guides and tour operators- sensitization on light pollution impacts and environmental protections, leading to sustainable tourism approaches.

<< Background >>Despite obvious benefits for University/Business Cooperation, the majority of universities and businesses in Europe do not collaborate.According to the EU Commission report on “State of University-Business Cooperation in EU” 2018, such limited (or lack of) collaboration dramatically reduces:- labour market relevance of study programmes- employability of graduates- ability of universities to produce impactful research.While lack of resources is often referred to as a barrier to cooperation, academics name bureaucracy and lack time as inhibitors while business identify cultural differences, different management styles and diverging motivations as obstacles.In such a context, JUST (Joint University/SME Training) will develop innovative tools to broker sustainable and fruitful collaboration between HEIs and SMEs to:1. develop & deliver labour market-relevant curricula2. define joint Work Based Learning (WBL) arrangements3. increase collaboration in career guidance / placementJUST is fully in line and addresses the following Erasmus+ priorities:HE Priority 1 “Promote inter-connected higher education systems”JUST has the objective of strengthening the strategic and structured cooperation between HEIs.Partners will develop and test an innovative model for enhanced cooperation between universities, and between universities and SMEs (sub-priority A)The JUST Model builds a blended and virtual collaboration model to jointly develop and deliver curricula and use online platforms for enhanced collaboration in placement and work-based learningHE Priority 2 “Stimulate innovative learning & teaching practices”JUST is in line with the objectives of sub-priorities:(A) JUST develops joint-curricula that are learning-outcome based (following Cedefop guidelines) to better meet the learning needs of students while reducing skills mismatches(B) partners will develop, test and implement flexible learning pathways for students, thanks to the modular structure of the JUST training that can be delivered online and blended. JUST includes forms of ONLINE ASSESSMENT to validate the acquisition of competences(C) the JUST training experiments with the concept of microcredentials: partners will use official guidelines/approaches of the EU Commission on microcredentials:- EU Skills Agenda, Jul. 2020: microcredentials are one of the 12 flagship actions- EU Education Area by 2025: microcredentials are instrumental to lifelong learning and reach a more diverse group of learners- Digital Education Action Plan, Sep. 2020: microcredentials lend themselves to digital teaching and learning in HE environment(D) implementation of transdisciplinary approaches/innovative pedagogies: JUST implement innovative trans-disciplinary collaborative online international learning with HEIs from Slovenia, Italy, Slovakia and Spain cross-teaching and teaching jointly with SMEs from different countries and sectors (ICT, management consulting, finance, innovation)HE Priority 4 “Reward excellence in learning, teaching & skills development”JUST model allow universities to involve and train academics in innovative and online pedagogies, including transdisciplinary approaches that involve private sector to develop and deliver new curricula, hence linking education with the local and European SMEs (sub-priority B).JUST addresses sub-priority C, as it fosters entrepreneurial, open and innovative higher education by promoting learning and teaching partnerships with organisations in the private sectorHorizontal Priority 3 “Address digital transformation through development of digital readiness, resilience, capacity”- key topic of JUST training is “digital skills” including “smart working” to meet the challenge of post-pandemic- JUST will use the “DigCompFramework 2.1” to develop its model and training (the Belgian partner is a member of the DigComp Community of Practice, facilitated by the EU Commission to update the DIgComp Framework in 2021)<< Objectives >>HEI / SME collaboration is always considered instrumental to realize the “knowledge triangle”, enhance innovation, bridge mismatch between supply & demand for skills and shorten the transition between world of education and world of work.The university / industry collaboration is often analysed from the perspective of large universities and big corporations. Seldom the analysis or model for university / industry collaboration involves the “micro” level, let it be smaller universities and smaller companiesJUST aims at bridging the gap between the world of education and the world of work, by bringing together Universities (HEIs) and SMEs to develop coherent, relevant and up-to-date curricula, using microcredentials.To overcome the lack of functional mechanisms to facilitate HEI-SME interaction for joint teaching (development and delivery of training), WBL and placement, JUST will develop innovative operational tools to equip HEIs to broker collaborations with SMEs; the tools will also empower SMEs to understand the value of collaboration with HEIs for the development of skills and competences of the future workforce.TARGET GROUPS & NEEDS are identified- HEIs institution- academic staff- students (18+ yo, m/f equal ratio) approaching transition from education to word of work- SMEs operating in different segments/sectorsTARGET GROUP NEEDHEIs- identify innovative means/tools to engage SMEs- overcome internal administrative barriers/limitations to cooperate with business- develop new operational models that entail collaboration with private sector SMEs- overcome operational and “business” bias to collaborate with HEI- cooperate with HEIs for career guidance, WBL and placementStudents:- access to more relevant training, also in form of microcredentials, on how to land a first job in a SME and grow professionally- bridge the transition from world of edu to world of work- have access to more and better opportunities of Work Based Learning- access to more “business-informed” curricula, jointly developed and delivered with private sectorSMEs- have tools to collaborate with HEIs to express their skill needs, requirements and preferences- establish collaboration with HEIs for human capital development., research and innovation- access to pools of qualified potential employees- availability of students motivated to undergo research (PhD / Thesis work) and placement (internship)JUST cоnsоrtium rеprеsеnts HEIs, the private sectоr bth as individual SMEs and as business/SME develоpment and suppоrt agencies and systems. JUST brings tоgether the whоle spectrum оf еntrеprеnеurship, innоvatiоn and cоmpеtitivеnеss at bоth pоlicy and practicе lеvеls and th Higher Edu system.At prоpоsal preparatiоn, partners identified cоmmоn Needs (N) and related JUST Sоlutiоns (S):Nееd: upgradе partners’ rеspоnsivеnеss tо addrеssing thе higher educatiоn and еntrеprеnеurship needs оf students, being the HEIs and SMEs mоre respоnsive in meeting skills dеmandSоlutiоn: innоvativе JUST training and tооls, dеvеlоpеd jоintly and intеrnatiоnally amоng diffеrеnt HEIs and SMEsN: updatе HEI and SME relatiоns and inter-cоnnectiоnsS: innоvativе mоdel оf HEI – SME cоllabоratiоn that develоps mоre relevant training fоr students tо becоmemeet fast-vоlving needs оf skills frоm SMEs. Especially in pоst-pandemic settings with changing nature оf jоbs and prоfessiоnsN: widеn thеir оpеratiоnal hоrizоns tо оvеrcоmе “gеоgraphical” isоlatiоn and build crоss-bоrder HEI/SME cоllabоratiоnsS: JUST dеvеlоps a platfоrm fоr cоllabоratiоn and еxchangе bеtwееn and amоng diffеrеnt HEIs and SMEsN: prоvidе еxpоsurе tо intеrnal staff (managеmеnt, tеaching, admin) tо intеrnatiоnal еxpеrtisе and еxpеriеncе in entrereneurhip, interrelatiоn and internatiоnal cоllabоratiоnS: JUST as an intеrnatiоnal cоllabоrativе prоjеct prоvidеs a uniquе оppоrtunity tо gain knоwlеdgе, practicеs and еxpеriеncеs frоm оthеr оpеratiоnal rеalitiеs оf HEI and SME develоpment<< Implementation >>The project is digital by design and makes of ICT and digital communication:•(part of the) training topics•internal and external communication means (between partners and between partners and stakeholders)JUST will develop innovative tools to broker sustainable and fruitful collaboration between HEIs and SMEs for the development and delivery of labour market-relevant curricula; definition of joint Work Based Learning (WBL) arrangements; increased collaboration in career guidance and placementTo do so, the design of the project follows a staged approach methodology, meaning that each task of each PR is instrumental to plan, develop and implement the following1) the JUST OER platform represent the digital “library” and online identity of the project, repository of news, relevant trends, online community of practice, and most importantly, all Project Results developed by partners. The OER platform assures also for JUST mainstreaming and visibility at international level. The platform will be in multilanguage version and will NOT require log in credentials from users so as to maximise its accessibility and ease of use2) once JUST’s online identity is settled up, partners will kickstart the mapping activity of interesting and current collaboration models between the private sector (SMEs) and HEIs so to seek for relevant trends and gain inputs and insights to be included in their own model. The Common Methodology developed by Applicant and IHF will allow for consistency of results and reliability of findings. Once partners will finalise the assessment, they will all work on the JUST Cooperation Model embedded with guidelines, checklist, recommended modus operandi3) upon completion and finalisation of the Cooperation Model, partners will “test” its real-life reliability and usability by leveraging on it for the definition of a new hybrid training curricula targeted at HE students.The training is highly innovative because it includes the participation of professionals and consultants. In that sense, students can benefit from a training that is tailored on skills and competences highly demanded by the labour market, designed in first person by employers and SMEs’ management>HEIs can enhance the provision of their educational offer, better preparing their students for the labour market>SMEs can contribute to the nurturing of future talents, talents from which they can benefits once they will transfer to the labour market>students can better equip themselves with the skills, competences and knowledge demanded by employers and managersThe reliability, consistency and pedagogical accuracy of the training material will be validated thanks to an in-depth and international scale piloting phase that will take 12 months and will involve (at least) 300 students. The validation plan developed by PR’s leader will assure for common testing methodology, gathering and process of feedbacks. Based on students’ feedbacks, partner will ultimate the finetuning of the trainingThe way in which partners envisioned the validation phase is very innovative being the result of a cross-functional approach:•Classroom delivery at university with visiting lecturers from private sector(from M14 to M20 and M23 to M27, in conjunction with traditional academic semesters)•Classroom delivery at enterprises with university teaching staff accompanying (work-based learning; field trip; job shadowing; research/thesis work, etc.)•Virtual delivery with cross-border teaching exchanges between HEIs and SMEs from the different countries (i.e. the Spanish SME teaching in Slovak HEI)Lastly, partners will consolidate set of guidelines to mainstream and facilitate the replicability of the JUST beyond the formal timeline, the project and partnership itself. The scope of this PR is triggering a “multiplier affect” across the EU ecosystem of HE, employability, social and economic inclusion, and inspire other local networks of HEIs and SMEs in doing the same<< Results >>JUST main results are described in the relevant sections of this e-Form, namely in the sections devoted to intellectual outputs and multiplier events. Yet, JUST project results will not be reduced to those: the main project results will be visible also and especially at the level of direct and indirect beneficiaries and at the level of participating organizations.Moreover, JUST will produce both tangible and intangible results:INTANGIBLE RESULTS>> Increased intermediation and collaboration between HEIs and SMEs for curricula design and delivery, carer guidance, placement and Work Based Learning>> Improved participation of SMEs in academic life, thanks to enhanced collaboration with HEIs>> Augmented relevance of HE at systemic level for its socio-economic role in the local communities, in social and economic life>> Enhanced professional paths for the students that will undertake the joint-developed and delivered JUST curriculum>> Increased international competitiveness of the partner organisations thanks to the networking effect of the JUST project that will establish working collaborations among organisations from different domains, sectors and countries>> Improved project management and inter-cultural communication competences among the implementation teams of the partner organizations.TANGIBLE RESULTSPR1 JUST OER Platform & Networking spacePR2 JUST Model for HEI-SMEs collaboration: mapping and assessment of trends and dynamicsPR3 JUST Multilanguage Tool-Kit + test and validation w/ 300 HE studentsPR4 JUST Implementation Suite and Green PaperMultiplier Events>> Each ME will provide impact and sustainability to project results>> Project Management Plan that will be produced at preparation stage>> JUST Dissemination Strategy / Plan>> JUST Quality Assurance Plan>> JUST Corporate Stationery, comprised of template documents to provide a unique visual interface to internal and external communications, including the project logo>> Project Specific Documents and Templates (internal monitoring reports, feed-back questionnaires, contracts/agreements between Applicant and Partners)>> Transnational meeting kits that will be developed by the hosting organisation in anticipation and preparation for the project meetings. The Kits are personalized folders with all documents used and shared during the joint works sessions, feed-back questionnaires, meeting agenda and other useful information such as logistics, practical info>> Transnational meeting reports and minutesThe JUST tools and curricula will be available in 5 language versions, allowing the project to produce sustainable impact beyond its lifetime. Thanks to the mainstreaming guidelines, JUST will produce sustainable and durable impact at systemic level: other HEIs, SMEs and intermediaries/associations of SMEs will be able to access and use for FREE and without ANY RESTRICTION the JUST operational tools and training resources. This allows the scalability and replicability of JUST in diverse operational settings and environment to bring closer together the world of education and the world of work

<< Background >>SMEs are the economic engine of Europe and social buffer generating jobs. Export outside of Europe is a great opportunity: 600,000 SMEs export to extra-EU markets, generating 500 billion € (35% of total EU exports) and creating 6 million jobs.However, the socio-economic potential of EU SMEs is underexploited: only 18% of European SMEs export to extra-EU markets and are truly international. Official papers and reports fromthe EU Commission confirm the relevance and challenges of EU SMEs’ internationalisation:- “SME Strategy for Sustainable and Digital EU” March 2020- “Annual Report on European SMEs” Special Background Document on Internationalisation of SMEs, Nov. 2018- “Challenges & Opportunities for EU Exporting SMEs” 2015These challenges and needs are even more pressing for female entrepreneurs and women-run enterprises. A deep need analysis carried out through a series of interviews and meetings with female entrepreneurs showed that, in order to grow and bring their businesses within international markets, this target group needed to strengthen their marketing and communication strategies, as well as to be trained in digital aspects and internationalisation legal policies. In addition, the joint EU/UN-INTRACEN report 2019 “From EU to the World: Understanding Challenges for EU Businesswomen” confirms that the extra-EU internationalisation process is exacerbated for female enterprises. It adds that the barriers faced by female EU SMEs in entering extra-EU markets are not in the lack of hard skills and technical competences, nor language barriers (as most international trade is in English). The most pressing needs relate to soft skills, attitude and transversal competences (spotting opportunities, networking, cross-cultural communication, digital skills). Therefore, the areas below are top priority:1) Mindset & Ambition: female SMEs face an internal attitude issue. As a EU report puts it “you cannot force an SME to become international”, but international expansion must come from within the company.2) Skills and competence of staff in thinking outside of the box.3) Understanding potential markets, in particular with reference to customer needs, culture, politics, dynamics and “how to do business”.4) Networking and identifying new partners or networks (suppliers, retailers and everything in between).5) Staff bandwidth and skills: internationalisation requires time, energy and adaptability, in sum “multifunctional” skills.The main objective of E4F is to support and revamp the potential of female SMEs and microenterprises to tap into extra-EU markets export. The project aims to build and reinforce the capacity, skills and competences of female enterprises to export to extra-EU markets by developing innovative training and capacity building programmes and tools that will ignite their export potential.The heterogeneous character of E4F consortium embodies in itself the entire essence of the project. The partnership gathers professional organisations from different geographical European regions, including ultraperipheral areas which are already part of the global market, with an extensive experience in female entrepreneurship, export promotion, vocational education and training, and digital development. Furthermore, most partners already represent the target group of women entrepreneurs and SMEs, including a strong participation of females within the working teams.At project implementation, partners will carry out the following activities:=> Develop and manage the content and adoption of the E4F multilingual OER Platform.=> Take stock of the Export Dynamics, Challenges & Opportunities for female enterprises in extra-EU markets.=> Develop the E4F Training in multiple language versions to promote adoption and use.=> Deploy and substantiate the E4F training with 120 representatives of the target groups.=> Produce the Public Policy report on the relevance of female SMEs’ internalisation and promotion of E4F Training<< Objectives >>As identified in several documents, research and studies from the European Commission and other well-known organisations, there exists a gender gap in SMEs extra-EU exports. Female entrepreneurs face a variety of challenges to take their enterprises out of their local and national realities and grow by tapping into international markets.The main OBJECTIVE of the E4F project is to empower women entrepreneurs and women-led businesses, recognising the potential and opportunities to increase their productivity, expanding the geographical markets in which they operate and seizing the opportunity offered by the global demand for EU products. In this line, E4F project is intended to enrich and boost the global competitiveness of EU SMEs through the use of innovative, operational and practical training tools for export strategies and management.By developing an open and multilingual OER platform that will host innovative training content highly adapted to the target groups and their identified needs and challenges, and by carrying out testing and validation actions specifically targeting the ecosystem of women entrepreneurs, E4F is completely in line with the Erasmus+ Programme priorities and objectives, which constitute as well the foreseen goals of the consortium itself:- Inclusion and diversity in all areas of education, training, youth and sport. E4F aims to bridge the gender gap evidenced within European SMEs by addressing several focal points: strengthening their operational capacity to compete in international markets, the development of basic and transversal skills, and the integration of the ultraperipheral regions, themselves represented within the partnership. In the same vein, the partnership and the project itself will contribute to raising awareness and achieving common values, civic engagement and participation with the implementation of dissemination actions, and activities that will directly involve women target groups, export consultants, gender and craft associations, associated partners, and the general public, among others.- Digital transformation through the development of digital readiness, resilience and capability. E4F will develop an OER platform hosting digital training content, which will focus, among other aspects, on target-oriented training on e-commerce, digital marketing and internationalisation strategies, as well as on the management of digital tools and therefore, the development of digital skills. This is in line with the European Environment and fight against Climate Change priority, as all project results will be produced in digital format, and the consortium will work within the framework of a GREEN agreement for the implementation of a paperless project, as far as legislation allows.- Adapting vocational education and training to market labour needs. The innovative character of the E4F project envisages the development of training content specifically focused on extra-EU exports, with the added value of being particularly tailored to the needs of female enterprises, entrepreneurs and SMEs. E4F will contribute to changing, adapting and expanding the quality, offer and availability of the current European VET ecosystem, in terms of internationalisation.- Creation and implementation of internationalisation strategies for VET providers. E4F training materials tackle internationalisation strategies and deal with both cultural and sociological factors of relevance for international environments, thus enhancing the mobility and intercultural awareness of learners. The involvement of partners and associates who are already VET providers at an international scale will ensure the accomplishment of this objective.E4F project is thereby not only a key initiative to promote the competitiveness of EU SMEs beyond its borders, but also addresses the priorities of gender inclusion and equal opportunities, joining two crucial actions promoted by the EU Commission.<< Implementation >>The activities planned for the implementation of E4F project are directly in line with the development and creation of PRs, oriented to meet the project objectives and priorities, and so maximise and enrich European female-run SMEs competitiveness beyond EU markets leveraging on innovative and ground-breaking internationalisation solutions, extrapolated from the most accredited best-practices and recommendations within Export Management environments. With this purpose, CCEM, in collaboration with the partnership will develop a Project Management Plan that will set the guidelines to produce the expected PRs, the tasks, roles and activities associated to each partner and phase for the implementation of E4F, and will also establish the mechanisms and tools dedicated to and for Financial Management and Accounting, QA assessment, Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) of all the actions and outcomes carried out and produced for this project. Therefore, the activities implemented will be the following: - The development of E4F OER Platform (PR1), created in five languages (EN, FR, IT, SI, ES), which will host all the PRs (PR2, 3, 4), and will serve as a space for promotion, transmission of knowledge and connecting network. The OER will be specifically target oriented, and therefore, will be of relevant use for female entrepreneurs and female-run business; Export management Consultants, International Trade Agencies, Internationalisation experts, Public Authorities, National/Regional contact points for business support, non-formal VET institutions and any other user interested. As an action to ensure the sustainability, higher impact and transferability of the project, activities of maintenance and updating of the OER and its contents will be carried out for a further three years after the completion of the official project lifetime. - A deep desk research on the Internationalisation dynamics, challenges and International trade opportunities for female entrepreneurs and female-run businesses with special focus on those currently operating on fashion, food and handicraft markets, but perfectly transferable to any other professional sector. The research will be conducted in the national contexts of each partner involved, as well as at a European level. The key findings will be systemised and highlighted in a formal executive document (PR2) on the export and competitive dynamics related to extra-EU borders, with the aim identifying the challenges and gaps, and so produce the appropriate tools to empower the potentialities of the target groups on a global and worldwide scale. - The development and translation of an online toolkit (PR3) that comprises training content, operational tools, cases, guidelines, good practices and a glossary arranged around 4 main topics: “Strategies for Internationalisation”, “E-commerce and international digital marketing”, “Social selling”, and “Sociologic and cultural aspects of Extra-Eu export”. Activities of delivery of the training contents will be carried out in the partners respective context in order to test and validate the content, structure, delivery means and assessment methods and so fine-tune the results. - The development of Public Policy Upscaling and Training Uptake Guidelines (PR4) that will serve the public administrations as tools for local, national, international competitiveness and female business growth outside the EU, as well as a tool to guarantee the sustainability of the project by promoting the project results (from PR1 to PR3) beyond the temporal limits of the project itself. Moreover, the partnership will carry out activities of promotion and sharing of E4F in all the project phases, which will be done both online and offline, by means of direct contacts, conferences, meetings, convention, press releases, and social media, among others.<< Results >>E4F expected outcomes and results foresee something unparalleled and without precedents. The growth and sustainability of European SMEs by fostering the inclusion and equality of professional opportunities for female entrepreneurs within international markets.In order to do so, E4F project will produce different and innovative results during the implementation process and even three years after the completion of the European Commission co-financing period.During the project life, the partnership envisages the following results:1) The multi-language version OER Platform that will host training content and courses devoted to female entrepreneurs and women-run SMEs on how to tap into international markets. The focus will be given to training for fashion, food, and handicraft businesses, but the relevant coverage of the aspects identified as general needs and challenges faced by this target group, will make possible the transferability of the contents developed to any other professional sector. Furthermore, the OER platform will be the space to gather all the project results. This platform will serve also as a connecting network, where associated partners and any organisation interested in the project will get involved, as well as a means of dissemination and showcase of all the results emerged in the project.2) The PR2 report on the dynamics of extra-EU internationalisation, operational requirements, skills sets and competence framework for female SMEs, as well as the challenges and opportunities for female enterprises in extra-EU markets. The consortium already carried out a needs analysis regarding female enterprises operating in food, fashion and handicraft sectors. However, a deepest study will be conducted in each country of the partnership in order obtain a general vision of the European situation and thus, produce a detailed report to describe the EU environment in relation to female-run SMEs applicable to any professional sector and the opportunities and challenges to internationalise their enterprises. 3) A toolkit gathering training content, materials and courses fully aligned with EQF standards and practices dedicated to female SMEs aiming to export to extra-EU markets. This virtual space will include a repository of operational and practical resources to reinforce and empower the digital, financial and law literacy skills and knowledge of the target groups, as well as a set of guidelines, good practices and a glossary related to the topic of the E4F project. In this sense, tests for the validation and recognition of the skills and EQF level of competence acquired will be also provided through a Certificate of completion automatically generated by the OER platform4) Policy paper to sensitise stakeholders at systemic levels in the sphere of female entrepreneurship, internationalisation of SMEs and competitiveness and guidelines for the training uptake. These results will encompass a set of experiences and lessons learned through the deployment of training in PR3, with the purpose of being a support for the implementation of E4F training contents and materials in the training and activities of organisations external to the consortium. It will also serve as guidelines to enrich public policies, providing training solutions to strengthen the competitiveness of their local enterprisesAfter the project lifetime, the following results are expected:- To have validated resources to increase the competitiveness of female SMEs within international markets.- To maintain the OER platform for three years after the official end of the project, serving as an instrument to continue increasing the equality and integration of the target groups.- To contribute to the digital transformation, resilience and capacity of European female-run enterprises.- To change, adapt, and modernise the VET offer by the involvement of partners and associates that are representative VET providers and the availability of updated training contents