Context: Fostering entrepreneurship can be a main means to mitigate societal problems and economic growth and the capacity to cope with change in societies. Current practices of support for business development have failed by being too oriented to individuals with an academic outlook. Even here current practices do not overcome the theory-practice gap. A more practical and pragmatic approach is needed, including face to face support and coaching. All partners have developed critical components for such an concept, but lack the resources and knowledge of other current good practices on an international level, to develop and test an innovative concept. Therefore they seek support for such a development. Objectives: Therefore it is the objective of the project to create a sustainable structure for developing entrepreneurial competences for SME with less than 5 years seniority, in production, crafts, services or ICT and for continuing support through trained coaches. To this end the project will research the best practices and innovative methods regarding business development support structures and will apply the best practices identified as well as partner´s own knowledge and experiences in synthesizing a transferable model of such structures. MultiEntCoach will be innovative: IO1- the new methodologies for training the entrepreneurs that are promoted and will be used by coaches; IO2- the case studies that will be presented, gathering experience from the different countries in Europe (PT, RO, SI, DE), with different level of development of entrepreneurial competence; IO3- a) a modern, innovative, accesible tool is created; it motivates managers to creat content, to communicate and to network in Europe; C1- the exchange of good practices in teaching entrepreneurial competences; C2 and C3 will combine the practical experience at transnational level with opportunity to see new models of business. Participants and profile: 20 coaches selected for experience in consulting SME; 40 start-up managers with less than 5 years seniority from production, services, crafts and IT; 200 entrepreneurs with less than 5 year seniority; 500 visits of such entrepreneurs for online support 210 participants in the multiplier events: stakeholders of SME support, potential multipliers, potential entrepreneurs Activities: Elaboration of 4 Intellectual Outputs: MultiENTCoach- Handbook for Coaches of Entrepreneurs (and Training Curriculum) MultiENTCoach- Handbook for Entrepreneurs (with Training Curriculum) MultiENTCoach- Online Support System MultiENTCoach- Comparative study of good practices of training of entrepreneurs and promoting entrepreneurship(with policy recommendations) 5 days of training for 20 consultants in coaching entrepreneurial competences and facilitation techniques 5 days of training for 40 entrepreneurs for developing the entrepreneurial competences 6 multiplier events including the final conference Wide dissemination to target groups and stakeholders. Results and impact: 20 coaches trained by introducing systematic approaches for continous professional development; 40 start-up managers trained in order to develop their soft entrepreneurial skills; opening up new learning opportunities through the practical application of entrepreneurial skills; 200 entrepreneurs assisted in order to foster their entrepreneurial spirit; Support and stimulate the flow and exchange of knowledge and best practices between coaches/ consultants and entrepreneurs 500 visits for online support 210 participants in the multiplier events Improvement of the quality and quantity of consultancy and support offers to entrepreneurs; Closer cooperation between all relevant actors, more competent entrepreneurs with a higher chance of surviving and thus a positive contribution to the economic development of the region. Potential business founders make up their mind to develop a business and are more qualified to do so. Methodology: Business founders with less than 5 years seniority will profit from a sustainable support network based on 20 trained coaches, training material and a online learning system. Face to face training of a core group of users as well as online support will kick-start a wider community of users of relevant knowledge for junior business founders. Interactive techniques used for training the adults. Project management tools, constant monitoring of the implementation (financial and technical using working plan and risck management tools) and quality assurance for a succesfull project. Longer term benefits: Networked approach in community with peer entrepreneurs and supporting organisations increases the mid and long term sustainability of the businesses. Contributing to the dissemination and mainstreaming of key concepts of European Economic Policy, as fostering entrepreneurship, particularly among young people as well as promotion of a more entrepreneurial mindset in general is one pillar of this policy.
Fostering entrepreneurship can be a main means to mitigate societal problems and economic growth and the capacity to cope with change in societies. Current practices of support for business development have failed by being too oriented to academic's. Even here current practices do not overcome the theory-practice gap. A more practical and pragmatic approach is needed, including face to face support and coaching. All partners have developed critical components for such a concept, but lack the resources and knowledge of other current good practices on an international level, to develop and test an innovative concept. Therefore they proposed the project. The objective of the project was to create a sustainable structure for developing entrepreneurial competences for SME with less than 5 years seniority, in production, crafts, services or ICT and for continuing support through trained coaches. To this end the project researched the best practices and innovative methods regarding business development support structures and applied the best practices identified, partner´s own knowledge and experiences in synthesizing a transferable model of such structures. MultiEntCoach proved to be innovative: IO1- the new methodologies for training entrepreneurs that were promoted and will be used by coaches in a sustainable way; IO2- the exercises and case studies that are presented, gathering European experience (PT, RO, SI, DE), with different level of development of entrepreneurial competence; IO3- a) a modern, innovative, accessible online learning resource tool was created; it motivates managers to create content, to communicate and to network in Europe; C1- the exchange of good practices in teaching entrepreneurial competences; C2 and C3 that combined the practical experience at transnat. level with opportunity for trainees to see new models of business. Participants and profile: 20 coaches selected by the partners for experience in consulting SME; 37 start-up managers with less than 5 years seniority from production, services, crafts and IT; 200 entrepreneurs with less than 5 year seniority assisted; 3480 visits of such entrepreneurs for online resources; 214 participants to multiplier events: stakeholders of SME support, potential multipliers, potential entrepren. Activities carried on in order to achieve the proposed objectives: Elaboration of 3 Intellectual Outputs: MultiENTCoach- Handbook for Coaches of Entrepreneurs (and Training Curriculum) MultiENTCoach- Handbook for Entrepreneurs (with Training Curriculum) MultiENTCoach- Online learning resources System (https://multient.erasmus-projects.eu/) 5 days of training for 20 consultants in coaching entrepreneurial competences and facilitation techniques 5 days of training for 37 entrepreneurs for developing soft entrepreneurial competences 6 multiplier events including the final conference Wide dissemination to target groups and stakeholders. Results and impact: 20 coaches trained by introducing systematic approaches for continuous professional development; 37 start-up managers trained in order to develop their soft entrepreneurial skills; opening up new learning opportunities through the practical application of entrepreneurial skills; 200 entrepreneurs assisted in order to foster their entrepreneurial spirit; Support and stimulate the flow and exchange of knowledge and best practices between coaches/ consultants and entrepren. 3480 visits for online resources 214 participants in the multiplier events Improvement of the quality and quantity of consultancy and support offers to entrepreneurs; Closer cooperation between all relevant actors, more competent entrepren. with a higher chance of surviving and thus a positive contribution to the economic development of the region. Potential business founders make up their mind to develop a business and are more qualified to do so. Methodology: Business founders with less than 5 years seniority have the possibility to profit from a sustainable support network based on the 20 trained coaches, training materials and online learning resources. Face to face training of a core group of users as well as online support contributed to start a wider community of users of relevant knowledge for junior business founders. Interactive techniques used for training the adults. Project management tools, constant monitoring of the implementation (financial and technical using working plan and risk management tools) and quality assurance for a successful project. Longer term benefits: Networked approach in community with peer entrepreneurs and supporting organizations increases the mid and long term sustainability of the businesses. Contributing to the dissemin. and mainstreaming of key concepts of European Economic Policy, as fostering entrepreneurship, particularly among young people as well as promotion of a more entrepreneurial mindset in general is one pillar of this policy.