LEarning And Development in micro- and small enterprises

The project was initiated to address a critical gap in training opportunities for MSEs, particularly businesses with fewer than 50 employees. While medium-sized enterprises typically benefit from formal or informal training programs, smaller firms, especially micro-companies with up to 9 employees, show little to no participation in such initiatives. This lack of training engagement, both internal and external, is further compounded by a reluctance to accept external advice, which hampers their potential for growth. Our preparatory research and extensive literature review highlighted a significant supply-side and demand-side failure regarding training offerings for MSEs. It was evident that a pedagogical approach tailored to motivate these companies' owners and managers was required. By developing a targeted project like LEAD, we aimed to bridge this gap and offer a new, innovative solution in the entrepreneurial environment, helping MSEs recognise the benefits of systematic retraining and adopt a forward-looking vision for their companies' development. This project has been crucial in understanding the unique barriers faced by these firms and in providing tailored interventions to enhance their long-term competitiveness-successes

By implementing this project, we aimed to gain recognition for the specific training and development requirements of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) at local, national and European levels. A key objective was to differentiate and address the specific attributes of MSEs, including the number of employees, annual income, industry sector, competitive pressures, and their position in the business lifecycle. Our ambition was to provide a multifaceted evaluation of their needs and to develop tailored training and advisory strategies. In addition to these theoretical achievements, we sought to provide MSE owners, managers, and external advisors with practical tools through the creation of a comprehensive Handbook and accompanying teaching materials. To validate these resources, we planned pilot training sessions, measuring success through both qualitative and quantitative indicators. Furthermore, the project aimed to disseminate its findings widely across the European entrepreneurial space and demonstrate its long-term value through a robust sustainability plan. Lastly, in light of the impact of the COIVD-19 pandemic, we prioritised digitalisation, enabling a blended curriculum to facilitate international sharing of the results.