KA205–Strategic Partnerships for Youth
Project Title: Young Female Entrepreneurs Program (YFEP)
Project code: 2019-2-PL01-KA205-066107
Grant: 216,876.70 €
Funding Scheme: Erasmus+
Key Action: KA2
Action Type: Strategic Partnerships for Youth, Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices
Coordinator: Fundacja Autokreacja (PL)
Partners:
- The Nest Social Cooperative Enterprise (GR)
- Cyprus Organisation for Sustainable Education & Active Learning-SEAL CYPRUS (CY)
- MV International (IT)
- AREGAI Terre di Benessere Associazione Culturale (IT)
- West Lothian Chamber of Commerce (UK)
Project dates: 01.09.2019 – 30.11.2022
Overview:
The Young Female Entrepreneurial Program (YFEP) was a Strategic Partnership project aimed at fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and related skills in young women from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. The project addressed the EU’s ongoing challenge of enhancing the entrepreneurial spirit of young women, increasing business creation rates, and providing alternative pathways to employability and personal fulfillment.
Challenges Addressed:
- Discouraging social and cultural attitudes towards women entrepreneurs
- Lower levels of entrepreneurship skills among women
- Smaller and less effective entrepreneurial networks for women
- Policy frameworks that discouraged women’s entrepreneurship
Approach:
The YFEP approach offered motivated young women an all-in-one program that included:
- Online content and tools
- Workshops
- Group activities
- Multi-mentor support
This program aimed to enlarge their knowledge on entrepreneurship, improve their attitudes, foster the necessary skills to initiate and manage an enterprise, and empower them through a multi-mentor program.
Need for a Transnational Project:
A joint approach was more effective in tackling common social issues related to NEET and youth unemployment, particularly female unemployment. The collaborative community development model fostered better local networks connected with experienced organizations in youth work at the European level.
Multi-Mentor Program:
The program offered all-around support to boost motivation and guide participants step-by-step in planning their business. Female professionals with specializations in various fields (finance, marketing, sales, HR management, business planning, etc.) mentored participants and shared links to potential clients and suppliers, creating a structured support network. Activities were conducted via a communication and learning platform to facilitate cooperation and communication among all involved parties.
Project Results:
All results were multilingual and included:
- A training course for youth workers and trainers, tested during a weeklong staff mobility
- A guidebook and tools for young women with business ideas and the motivation to implement them
- A protocol to engage stakeholders and specialists to support the young participants
- A manual for specialists and experts, particularly women, on mentoring and coaching techniques to support the young participants
Target Group:
Young women with a disadvantaged background
Project Objectives:
- Combined the competences and knowledge of the six partners to build a multidisciplinary group addressing common issues, consolidating and expanding the existing local ecosystem, and supporting the target group during the 24-month partnership.
- Modified the existing EYP program by adding specific elements (multi-mentoring program, entrepreneurial education, involving families) and assessed it during common training.
- Selected and involved 25 mentors to improve the multi-mentor program and ensure adequate support.
- Prepared and tested a training course to increase competences and skills in 15 trainers appointed by participating organizations to instruct 50 youth workers on using the YFE program.
- Developed a new approach to enhance young women’s transversal skills and self-confidence, testing it with 100 young women selected by the partners during the 8-month pilot activity.
Activities:
- 4 Transnational Project Meetings
- 1 Joint-Staff Mobility
- 1 Blended Mobility
- 1 Local Phase involving 100 young women
- 1 Multiplier Event
Kick-Off Meeting
