The project aimed at: • harnessing the potential of future social entrepreneurs by developing innovation, entrepreneurship and business skills, to support them to be more business and innovation-oriented and generate an effective social impact • capacitate VET providers and professionals who work with them to integrate innovation, business & sustainability topics in their programme and curricula
According to the EC’s Social Business Initiative (2011), “a social enterprise is an operator in the social economy whose main objective is to have a social impact rather than make a profit for their owners or stakeholders”. With social economy employing over 11 million people in the EU, corresponding to 6% of total employment, social enterprises can play a unique role in identifying unmet social needs, and in stimulating the economy, providing employment opportunities, particularly for disadvantaged people, as a tool for social inclusión. The Social Business Initiative has thus identified a “set of actions to make a real difference and improve the situation on the ground for social enterprises” and entrepreneurs. One of those is access to EU education and training programmes. Education and training for existing and future social entrepreneurs with innovative ideas is thus critical to promote capacity building and upskilling in a sector that needs to balance a positive social impact with market potential and profit, which constitutes the main motivation of the INNO4CHANGE project.