Alliance for green entrepreneurship

The Alliance for Green Entrepreneurship (AGE) project originated from noticing a lack of environmental awareness among entrepreneurs in Bulgaria and other EU countries such as Romania, Romania, Poland, etc . Low environmental awareness is a common issue, as this topic is not in the mainstream, but it was important to address the problem on an entrepreneurial level. Partner entities observed that when starting a business, entrepreneurs faced mostly paperwork, and additionally considering the environmental aspect was an overwhelming scenario. This was also the case not only in partner countries, after having consulted potential EU entities at the prep project stage. Hence, the idea for AGE was born—a user-friendly knowledge hub for entrepreneurs who want to embrace eco-friendly practices but find it challenging to do the research themselves. The AGE platform serves as a valuable resource of practical environmental-entrepreneurial knowledge, making green business solutions more accessible to everyone. Not only does it solve the issue of scattered and unaccessible information relevant to SMEs, it also offers additional ways to gain knowledge on the subject of eco entrepreneurship, creating more possibilities for future entrepreneurs.

The AGE Project aimed to foster sustainable entrepreneurship education for adult learners, creating learner-driven resources for circular economy models and green startups. Key objectives included evolving eco-friendly mindsets, raising awareness about green startup tools and best practices, and supporting green entrepreneurship education through an Open Educational Resource (OER). The project has: - Enhanced eco-friendly mindsets by strengthening educational offerings. - Raised awareness about topics such as ECO European best practices and the Green Deal scheme. - Supported green entrepreneurship through an OER guide for circular economic models. - Raised competences and disseminated good practices related to green economy education. - Supported quality improvements and extended learning opportunities through cross-sectorial cooperation. The project, involving six partners from six EU countries, established a balanced partnership with a North-South-Eastern dimension. Partner organisations possessed relevant expertise in project management and implementation, with some excelling in sustainable entrepreneurship education. An additional achievement of the project was establishing a brand new network of green entrepreneurs in Europe.

The 24-month project consisted of several activities, both local and international. During the project, 4 transnational project meetings were organised. Those have served the preparation and elaboration of tangible project results, as well for management purposes and work at international level between partners. Project coordinators and experts from each participating entity and country convened during meetings, supporting the development of project outputs. Additionally, the transnational reunions played a crucial role in supporting the ongoing monitoring and evaluation process throughout the project duration. The project included the elaboration of 3 intellectual outputs, each one divided into several activities: IO1. Research on sustainable businesses and best practices in partnership countries - this action required extensive research and structuring in order to be turned into a comprehensive document presenting the best practices collected by the consortium. IO2. Self-learning courses on green entrepreneurship - available on 6 different topics. Within this output, partners have worked and examined diverse relevant thematics, related to green entrepreneurship subject, and each partner team has elaborated an extensive document according to their subject, a digital presentation summing up the information presented in the document, and created an assessment testing questionnaire, to make sure that users have the opportunity to proof and validate their knowledge. IO3. AGE Open Educational Resource - a specific online tool - a rich collection of knowledge about green entrepreneurship. It includes not only the self-learning courses available but also the research and a bunch of extra resources. The consortium decided to enrich it with a variaty of sources on green entrepreneurship and sustainability in forms of books, podcasts, movies, blogs, websites, and social media accounts. After the creation of outputs, the project team has conducted a testing phase of the outputs, where learners with entrepreneurial ideas relevant to the green economy could test the available materials and provided feedback on their improvement and user-friendliness. Another actions which partners have operated during the project were the conducting of local meetings, contact and engagement of stakeholders interested to contribute in the topic. Each partner organisation had the responsibility to involve additional partners and entities, which mission was to support project implementation, as well to participate in dissemination and follow-up activities. Partner organisations included educational Higher Education Institutions (HEI), Vocational Education and Training (VET) institutions, public entities, green startups, digital companies, and more. On top of that, a comprehensive dissemination campaign was strategically planned and executed, further reaching concrete target groups and expanding our networks. Regular activities, such as administration, financial and project management, monitoring and evaluation activities, internal communication, online cooperation between partners, virtual meetings, and reporting activities, characterised the project's ongoing efforts.

Project has produced a large spectrum of results results, falling into the present 2 categories: Tangible outputs: Research Report: A research report on existing legislation and tools supporting the green economy and eco-sustainable entrepreneurship in each country. The research gathered information on legislation for creating circular economy solutions in partner countries and at the EU level. It also focused on the needed support for initiating such startups for the development of green innovation. Training Materials and Educational Course Content: Partners developed tailor-made materials for adult learners based on research findings. These materials addressed topics such as the legal state of art and procedures for integrating the green economy sector, the implementation of green entrepreneurship education across Europe, entrepreneurship and green innovation (eco networks and innovative business models), tools for initiating green startups, implementing innovative circular economy solutions in the community, and creating eco-friendly enterprises. Impact investing and project financing, as well as public/private partnerships for sustainable entrepreneurship, were also covered. Partners shared expertise during transnational meetings, working on course modules and their specific features, leading to the delivery and testing of the Open Educational Resource (OER) content within participating communities. Development of Online OER: The project developed an online web-based learning platform containing the OER. This platform offered a range of open educational materials for individual learners in English. It was designed for easy access, providing core information on green economy and entrepreneurship. The platform operated as a learning resource hosting newly created educational content, including various materials and innovative learning solutions related to green economy. Intangible Outcomes: Raised Knowledge and Competences: Partner staff members and adult educators gained knowledge and competences for developing OER on green entrepreneurship education. Guidance and Support: Staff members and educators acquired the ability to offer guidance and support related to the development of eco-entrepreneurship and green innovation. They acted as multipliers of best practices in this field within their local communities. Acquisition of Best Practices: The project resulted in the acquisition of best practices related to solutions for entrepreneurial education, focusing on green economy. Learners Involved in Lifelong Learning: A number of learners from across Europe engaged in lifelong learning and e-learning on green themes through the released outputs. Stimulation of Adult Learners: Adult learners were stimulated to use the OER for learning, benefiting from an increased sense of initiative inspired by green entrepreneurial ideas. Promotion of Significance of Green Entrepreneurship Education: The project promoted the significance and importance of green entrepreneurship education, using the produced project outputs as quality support. Increased Understanding and Awareness: There was an increased understanding and awareness among stakeholders regarding the need for sustainable entrepreneurship in local communities. Strategic Process Offering Tailor-Made Solutions: The project provided a strategic process offering tailor-made solutions to individual learners for creating green startups, finding new models of employment, and supporting career guidance or changes in career paths. Cross-Sectorial Cooperation: The project facilitated strategic cross-sectorial cooperation and the exchange of best practices to improve green entrepreneurship education across Europe. This contributed to the integration of new and sustainable career paths, thereby decreasing the unemployment rate. Enhanced Involvement of Third Sector Entities: The OER offered an opportunity for easier implementation, leading to enhanced involvement of third-sector entities in circular economy initiatives