TFEL had three main objectives: 1) Provide valuable practical training to participants and other adult learners reached through our program. We aimed to equip them with the hands-on knowledge and expertise that would enable them to engage in mushroom growing, mycelium-based material building, and regenerative entrepreneurship and innovation. 2) Create and grow a community of regenerative entrepreneurs in Greece, Austria, and across the EU that support community food self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on destructive industries. The intent was to unite individuals with a shared interest in regenerative entrepreneurship, foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and networking among them, ultimately leading to the development of socially and environmentally responsible businesses. 3) Facilitate a transnational exchange of skills and knowledge and strengthen our own capacity for community food self-sufficiency. We aimed to promote international cooperation and the exchange of best practices between participating organisations, trainers, and participants, to be multiplied through each of their networks; and to enhance the capacity for community food self-sufficiency in the regions represented by the participating organisations.
We applied for this project to address critical needs in Greece and across the EU, including high unemployment rates and a lack of eco-innovation. Our goal was to provide practical training in mushroom cultivation, biomaterial building, and regenerative entrepreneurship to enhance employability and offer sustainable livelihood opportunities. We aimed to contribute to the transition to regenerative practices by promoting fungi-based entrepreneurship and sustainable materials. Additionally, we focused on facilitating a transnational exchange of skills, fostering cross-border collaborations and diverse perspectives on regenerative practices. Creating a community of regenerative entrepreneurs was a central objective, enabling idea sharing and mutual support. Moreover, our project aimed to contribute to the knowledge commons by creating educational videos on fungi-related topics, making valuable resources accessible to a broader audience. Overall, our project addressed unemployment, promoted sustainability, facilitated skill exchange, fostered a community of regenerative entrepreneurs, and contributed to knowledge sharing.