SCALE UP
Activation Year 2022
In progress
PROGRAMME: Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training
PROJECT NUMBER: KA220-VET-3D440513
Promotion of women entrepreneurs’ access to financing to strengthen the sustainability and competitiveness of their enterprises in the labor market
Partner:
FVB S.R.L Italy, COOPERATION BANCAIRE POUR L'EUROPE Belgium, SYNTHESIS CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION LIMITED Cyprus, EUROPOS SOCIALINIS VERSLUMO UGDYMO IRINOVATYVIU STUDIJU INSTITUTAS Lithuania, Fondazione Edulife ONLUS Italy, DOMSPAIN SLU Spain
Donor:
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission
Stakeholders:
Women social entrepreneurs (present and future), VET trainers, Business coaches
CONTEXT/BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT:
The European Union is in a constant effort to support women entrepreneurship but, despite all efforts, the average percentage of women in entrepreneurship throughout the EU has increased only by 2% from 2008 to 2022. Moreover, as from a 2019 study by the French Ministry for Higher Education, this is in contrast with the increased rate of women with higher degrees with respect to men.
Difficulties in accessing financing, social stigmatization and stereotypes, and life-work balancing, are all relevant factors in that percentage disparity, but are not the only causes. Dismantling all those (and other) barriers is therefore essential to reach the EU’s gender equality in occupation goal.
OBJECTIVE
The goal is to reduce gender inequalities in the entrepreneurial sector through direct training of women entrepreneurs (present and future) and of trainers/coaches who will support them.
Specifically:
- Supporting Women Social entrepreneurs access to finance as to support the sustainability and competitiveness of their social enterprises in the labor markets.
- Focusing on the direct training of women social entrepreneurs (present and future) and through the creation of a favorable, inclusive and supporting environment for them.
- Raise awareness on the main obstacles’ women entrepreneurs encounter running/starting up a social enterprise and making it sustainable in the long run.
OUTCOMES
PROJECT
SCALE-UP aims to promote the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills by women entrepreneurs (present and future) interested in social sectors, through participation in vocational training courses and training of the professionals who support them (professional trainers and business coaches). In particular, it intends to support them in accessing financing and in making their businesses sustainable/competitive in labor markets by raising awareness of the difficulties they may face in running/starting social enterprises.
