COM-SET was designed with the objective of promoting an innovative approach, incorporating the concept of commercial social entrepreneurship into VET courses, catering to students specialising in Business and Entrepreneurship. The project sought to bridge the existing gap between commercial and social entrepreneurship, specifically targeting for-profit enterprises seeking to generate social value. This was achieved by augmenting established VET entrepreneurship courses with the incorporation of concepts from the Social Business Initiative, encompassing social economy and entrepreneurship, and amalgamating them with principles of commercial entrepreneurship. The project's distinctive feature lay in its emphasis on real business cases, driving the development of mobile and online learning content enriched with actual examples of good and best practices drawn from Bulgaria, Belgium, and Türkiye. This approach aimed to deliver an innovative pedagogical experience, wherein online and mobile applications served as vehicles for introducing innovation. Accordingly, COM-SET adopted a 21st-century teaching and learning methodology, persuading students of the tangible value of social entrepreneurship within a commercial context.
SME entrepreneurs (especially younger ones) want to contribute to society within a commercially driven business that does follow a social approach. Such specific blended approach towards mixed for-profit & non-profit approach is however not taught anywhere. It’s either pure entrepreneurship or pure social economy. No vocational education and training (VET) offers blended social commercial entrepreneurship as part of a curriculum in Business and Entrepreneurship subjects. COM-SET distinguishes itself by addressing the for-profit sector which can inject specific elements of the social economy model as applied in the non-profit sector. The core idea was to develop a pan-European social commercial entrepreneurial training curriculum (EQF level 4 & 5) and course material for VET that assists VET students in Business and SME entrepreneurship to engage in and “absorb” social entrepreneurship aspects throughout the entire business workflow. Target groups: VET educational staff (lecturers, teachers, trainers) that aim to integrate social economy aspects within mainstream entrepreneurial VET training courses. Beneficiaries: VET students, VET trainers, SME decision makers (entrepreneurs) that aim to integrate in business a social approach.