The "Social Entrepreneurship Academy" (project is rooted in principles of social justice and equal opportunity as well as in the shared belief that a more inclusive and diverse entrepreneurship ecosystem will lead to true innovation. Our collective goal is to infuse the European entrepreneurship landscape with diversity and inclusivity, contributing to thriving economies that prioritize well-being and sustainability over profit-seeking for the benefit of the few. We aim to contribute to a more equitable, and resilient European economy by addressing the unique challenges faced by migrants and refugees by improving the business and entrepreneurial education available to them. We have refined our goals along two main arguments: (1) democratization of access to quality education: open up the European entrepreneurship ecosystem, its institutions and services, and above all founder education and training, for disadvantaged groups, esp. migrants and refugees; (2) promotion of social entrepreneurship: increase awareness of SE as a viable career opportunity for migrants and refugees to pursue financial self-sustainability, generate jobs and boost employability as well as drive tangible positive impact for themselves and in their communitie
Our consortium, comprised of DIESIS from Belgium, Impact Circles e.V. from Germany, and Mine Vaganti NGO from Italy, jointly applied for this project because of their shared commitment to addressing the educational needs of vulnerable and often marginalized groups, especially migrants and refugees. Despite the interconnected support structures in several European countries fostering migrant entrepreneurship, and being a particularly impactful area of education, migrants and refugees belong to the most underserved groups all while having huge potential for positive societal change and economic transformation. Recognizing this gap, our consortium envisioned the "Social Entrepreneurship Academy" (SEA), a multi-stage endeavor that aims to create a social entrepreneurship curriculum for the next generation of social entrepreneurs in the EU based on the principles of co-creation and non-formal education (NFE). The curriculum is tailored for educators and practitioners working with the identified target groups, providing essential knowledge and resources for helping them to empower the entrepreneurial journey of these exceptional entrepreneurs and their unique challenges, turning them into important multipliers and inspiring role models.