A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE ENTREPRENEURS: An innovative model to co-create hubs for social enterprises

The general purpose of the Co-creating Hubs for Social Enterprises (SEHUBS) project is to elaborate an innovative model of co-creation hub for social enterprises (SEs) that are working with various disadvantaged groups or for overcoming social issues in various fields (culture, sport, employment, etc.) and to test its practical application in different local contexts. SE hubs are operating as institutions for non-formal education and training that provide various types of support to management and operational staff of social enterprises with different social background. The beneficiaries of the SE hubs’ activities – the social enterprises (SEs) themselves have proven to be a good practice for ensuring social inclusion.

The SEHUBS project specifically aims at creating and testing into practice of an innovative SE co-creation hub model that will provide a comprehensive package of innovative trainings and operational practices and will serve as a generator for stronger and viable SEs’ communities. The model of the SE co-creation hub will combine components that address 1) the capacity – building needs of SE in the area of applying inclusive training approaches for their staff; 2) the needs for exchange of experience and knowledge on integrating innovative non-formal inclusive and skill-based training programs that are applied by SEs for their target groups; 3) the needs for gaining public acknowledgement and community trust for SE activities.

The specific innovations to be elaborated within the SEHUBS project include:

• inclusive training programme for staff management by SEs;
• inclusive fellowship training programs for SEs staff;
• community-based physical spaces that are shared among local SEs and help them access the community.

Co-creating innovative SE hub model that is easily adaptable to the specifics of various local contexts will foster the future successful operational and expert development of SEs as organizations. It will also help them serve as sustainable inclusive training centres for various members of the communities no matter of their differences and background specifics. In this way it will help to build more inclusive societies where all members share common values and respect each-others rights. 

In this study we present the SEHUBS model of comprehensive support for social enterprises developed in partnership.

 

The team working on the model in each country:

BULGARIAN CENTER FOR NOT-FOR-PROFIT LAW aka BCNL: Pavleta Alexieva, Nadia Shabani, Aylin Yumerova

THE ATHENS LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE: Ourania Xylouri, Margarita Denfigou, Arianna Ioannidou, Maria Menegaki

The UNIVERSITY OF LODZ: Jarosław Ropęga, Paweł Głodek, Bożena Czerkawska, Renata Lisowska, Izabela Warwas, Marta Kędzia

PRISM: Dario Ferrante, Federico Mazzara

 

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The model is developed within the SEHUBS Co-creating Hubs for Social Enterprises project 621421-EPP-1-2020-1-IT-EPPKA3-IPI-SOC-IN. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This study reflects the views only of the participants, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information presented therein.