The Primary Objective of SPEC is to initiate a replicable model of learning that enables enterprise centre managers, tenant businesses and learners to adopt sustainable and responsible business practices. Focusing on the dimensions of sustainable practice such as: sustainable buildings (NZEB), energy and resource efficiency, sustainable eco-systems and collective action, the SFEC programme will assist the participant cohort in developing practices that will make a transformative contribution to addressing climate challenges. Many enterprise centre managers want to take measures to improve the sustainability of their centres and gain expertise/learning that they can pass onto their tenants but there is currently no VET training or offering of best practices available to help drive change or improve their own environmental practice as part of an innovative pedagogical process . SFEC’s effort to align national priorities, needs of local communities and high-impact sustainable initiatives through the establishment of robust business models will result in more sustainable, scalable and replicable solutions. OEC, NASEC and ANCES have vast dissemination networks that the project will utilize. The transition to a low-carbon economy means a new economic model is necessary, focused on low-carbon growth, resource efficiency and sustainable development. That presents significant transformational challenges for enterprise where sustainable transitions are highly dependent upon technological solutions: industrialisation has catalysed a linear economy in which take-use-dispose culture is accentuated. A transition to a circular, sustainable economy is essential. The SFEC project will work to: 1) Identify best practices that enterprise centres can replicate to reduce their carbon footprint, improve their services/supports and future proof their infrastructures (IO1) 2) Guide enterprise centre leaders through strategic sustainability planning which will bring sustainable practices and ideas to fruition via concrete actions (IO2) 3) Empower enterprise centre leaders to become Sustainability Educators and Agents of Change capable of teaching and training SME and start up clients about the principles of sustainability and green business (IO3) 4) Develop a self-learning sustainability and climate-action online course for Enterprise Centres tenants and wider SME’s to enable them to operate in an environmentally and socially responsible manner and align their sustainability goals with those of the enterprise centres where they are based (IO3) Our target participants span four categories: • Organisations linked to target groups: Enterprise Centres networks in partner countries and across Europe, and businesses and representative bodies for innovation supports companies • Policy makers in terms of energy and sustainability and economic development • Partners’ links to associates, peers, stakeholders and policy makers at regional, national and EU sustainability development networks. • Media - specialist education, energy and sustainability sector press and sustainability influencers will be a useful means of recruiting the aforementioned target groups and we will target relevant sections of media to reach stakeholders across the other three key target groups. Impact is at every level of the project. SFEC will develop the competences of leaders in enterprise centre management in sustainable business practice to include: sustainable buildings (NZEB), energy and resource efficiency, sustainable eco-systems, collective action, state of the art digital technologies and working practices. Impact will take place at every organisational level: Board of Directors, Management Team, Operational Staff, Volunteers. Enterprise centres business advisors, mentors and VET educators will increase their awareness of the importance of sustainable practice capabilities as a specific competence, will grow professionally with the ability to teach new skills through pedagogic strategies & new exposure to digitally adept teaching tools. SME owner, managers & employees, who have not traditionally had access sustainability practices and climate mitigation actions training, will acquire the skills & confidence to undertaken new sustainability projects & are likely to actually do so in the first 6 months after completing the course. This will contribute directly to their professional development as they will strengthen their eco innovation mindset & skills. Last, but not least, will be the economic advantages conferred by the greening of their businesses. SFEC will help partners gain an in-depth specialist knowledge of the contemporary climate change mitigation actions for business and the future-proofing sustainability practices as an innovation driver. SPEC also has impact on Sustainability Advocates: Non-affiliated members, public or otherwise, who may be interested in learning about best practices in the sector.
As per application The SFEC project worked to: 1) Identify best practices that enterprise centres can replicate to reduce their carbon footprint, improve their services/supports and future proof their infrastructures (IO1) 2) Guide enterprise centre leaders through strategic sustainability planning which will bring sustainable practices and ideas to fruition via concrete actions (IO2) 3) Empower enterprise centre leaders to become Sustainability Educators and Agents of Change capable of teaching and training SME and start up clients about the principles of sustainability and green business (IO3) 4) Develop a self-learning sustainability and climate-action online course for Enterprise Centres tenants and wider SME’s to enable them to operate in an environmentally and socially responsible manner and align their sustainability goals with those of the enterprise centres where they are based (IO3)
As per application: An up to date search of the Erasmus+ database using the following terms: ‘climate change’, climate mitigation, sustainability and ‘Enterprise Centres’ shows no projects found for the given criteria. This validates our own findings that there is currently no VET training or offering of best practices available to help drive change or improve environmental practice in Enterprise Centres as part of an innovative pedagogical process. Accordingly, here is a distinct need for this project: No resource such as this available for Enterprise Centres in Europe. Our three networks of Enterprise Centres in UK/Northern Ireland, Spain and Ireland agreed a shared strategic action is needed by their expansive organisations to develop a tailored climate change programme for European enterprise centres, as well as looking at the most suitable sustainable practices for the tenant clients of these centres. SFEC represents an important first innovation opportunity to develop transferable expertise in response to the needs of a specific target group: enterprise centre leaders. SFEC seeks to break new ground in this sector by forming a clear picture of the strengths, weaknesses and levers of change to improve sustainability performance at leadership level in the sector. Enterprise centres attract attention as an integral driver of economic and social progress. Its organisations are the primary deliverers and sources of innovation in services to small business, entrepreneurs, start-ups and marginalised cohorts in the community. Our IO1 Toolkit provides a replicable, proven strategic sustainability planning process which any enterprise centre across Europe can easily follow. The model will also be designed in such a way to make it transferable to other sectors and public building infrastructures The Primary Objective of SFEC is to initiate a replicable model of learning that enables enterprise centre managers, tenant businesses and learners to adopt sustainable and responsible business practices. Focusing on the dimensions of sustainable practice such as: sustainable buildings (NZEB), energy and resource efficiency, sustainable eco-systems and collective action, the SFEC programme will assist the participant cohort in developing practices that will make a transformative contribution to addressing climate challenges. Our focus was on the following questions and needs: - What are the best practices that our participants can replicate in order to carbon footprint, improve their services/supports and future proof their infrastructures? - How best to guide enterprise centre leaders and tenant SMEs through a strategic climate change process which will bring sustainable practices from learning into concrete actions ? -What are the mechanisms by which we can transfer those skills to the widest possible enterprise centre + tenant cohort? The transition to a low-carbon economy means a new economic model is necessary, focused on low-carbon growth, resource efficiency and sustainable development. That presents significant transformational challenges for enterprise where sustainable transitions are highly dependent upon technological solutions: industrialisation has catalysed a linear economy in which take-use-dispose culture is accentuated. A transition to a circular, sustainable economy is essential.