The project wanted to offer a solution to structures working with NEETs (without specific expertise in social entrepreneurship) by training them. This project was in line with the European Recommendation 2018/C 189/01 on key competences for lifelong learning and seen as a prerequisite for providing more job opportunities for NEETs. Moreover, the idea was to create a European community of practice by connecting structures specialized in entrepreneurship (PULSE), education (Belgrade Open School), with diverse organizations working with NEETs, such as Chambers of Commerce (The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Terrassa), NGOs (The Local Mission of Marseille) or Youth umbrella organizations (National Youth Council of Macedonia). The added-value of this project was also to bring together structures that implement the Youth Guarantee in 3 different countries (France, Spain and North Macedonia) to strengthen the activities offered to young people in the framework of this program. Finally, through its results, the project would reinforce existing structures and projects, but also to prove to other stakeholders that it is possible and necessary to integrate and remobilize NEETs through entrepreneurship.
The E4NEETs project aimed to address the lack of access to entrepreneurship for young adults who are considered as NEETs. Indeed, entrepreneurship and especially social entrepreneurship (SE) can be an important lever for the acquisition of skills useful for their socio-vocational integration, their remobilization and involvement within their community and for some, the development of projects that will allow them to become self-employed. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were approximately 1.7 million NEETs across the EU. Youth unemployment dropped to a record low of 14.9% by February 2020. Young people were feeling the strong impact of pandemic restrictions as they coped with the lowest levels of mental well-being and high levels of loneliness. And yet the support structures working with NEETs didn’t have the means to support the NEETs interested in entrepreneurship in an efficient way because they are not connected to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The reinforced European Youth Guarantee does not incorporate entrepreneurship as an opportunity. Besides the people working with NEETs, generally social workers, are not well trained about entrepreneurship and SE as it is a “niche” that yet echoes the aspirations of the Youth.