The project aimed to foster entrepreneurial skills among present and future women entrepreneurs in the social sector through VET training and capacity-building for trainers and coaches. It directly addressed gender inequalities in entrepreneurship by training women and equipping their mentors with the tools to support them effectively. The project had two specific objectives: To support women's access to finance to enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of their social enterprises, creating a favorable and inclusive environment. To raise awareness of key challenges women faced in launching and managing social enterprises. This was achieved through training materials for both entrepreneurs and their trainers, along with supporting tools to foster a more inclusive ecosystem. The project developed an innovative MOOC to help women overcome entrepreneurial challenges and enhanced the skills of VET trainers. Additionally, it introduced a set of integrated tools, including a self-evaluation tool, interactive library, best practices, and an investor mapping atlas, facilitating knowledge acquisition, networking, and peer learning at national and European levels.
The project aimed to address the low participation of women in entrepreneurship across the EU, which increased by only 2% between 2008 and 2022 despite higher education levels among women. Factors such as limited access to finance, gender stereotypes, social stigmatization, and work-life balance challenges contributed to this gap. Women often focused on sectors perceived as less profitable, making it harder to secure investments and sustain their businesses. Additionally, women entrepreneurs were found to be less confident in applying for funding due to structural barriers and a lack of support networks. Their predominant role in childcare and family care further limited their opportunities to develop businesses. By providing training, knowledge, and tailored support strategies, it aimed to increase access to finance, build confidence, and remove structural barriers that hinder women's participation in entrepreneurship. Partners had specific needs, such as stimulating social entrepreneurship (CCIS), expanding support to new sectors (FVB), updating training materials (CBE), engaging women in entrepreneurship and social innovation, (SYNTHESIS and ESI),get training background related to entrepreneurship (DOMSPAIN and EDULIFE).