Alliance for Responsible and Impactful Investment in Eastern Europe
▶Summary
Fast paced innovations are good and needed worldwide indeed and the global start-up ecosystems are exceeding all expectations to this end. Moreover, as the entire world is moving towards a more su...
▶Objectives
The objective of ARIEES were to help universities (and potentially adult training centres) to improve: 1) their entrepreneurship courses by infusing impact investment know-how and 2) to upgrade the digital competences of lecturers/trainers to ensure that the impact investment knowledge can be properly infused into the learners while 3) certifying competences and boosting the quality of entrepreneurship trainers. This was done by developing: • Result 1 – Acquiring responsible & impactful investment cours • Result 2 – Webinars as pilots for the course (for students, startups and investors) • Result 3 – Train the trainers webinars with digital education pedagogical innovations • Result 4 – Digital micro-credential system development (based on EntreComp/DigComp) • Result 5 – Networking platform: Impact investment Hub ARIEES achieved the following priorities: Priority 1 - HE: Supporting digital capabilities of the higher education sector Priority 2 - HORIZONTAL: Environment and fight against climate change Priority 3 - HE: Rewarding excellence in learning, teaching and skills development
▶Activities
Based on an international collaboration of partners and stakeholders, ARIEES project developed a comprehensive methodology based on numerous secondary and primary data analyses and multidimensional experience of those involved in the implementation of activities. More precisely we implemented five results indicated below: Result 1: * Task 1.1 - Content development * Task 1.2 - Training Materials Peer-review * Task 1.3 - Partners to adjust training materials * Task 1.4 - Materials update after the webinars * Task 1.5 - Content embedment in existing curricula Result 2: * Task 2.1 -Webinar content adaptation from Result 1 * Task 2.2 - Webinar content testing * Task 2.3 - Webinar delivery Result 3: * Task 3.1 -Webinar content development * Task 3.2 - Webinar content testing * Task 3.3 - Webinar delivery [The Consortium decided aggreably about the webinars realisation order - result 2 webinars before result 3 webinars] Result 4 * Task 4.1 - Certification framework & center development * Task 4.2 - Certification assessment development * Task 4.3 - Certification center launch Result 5: * Task 5.1 - Platform requirements analysis * Task 5.2 - Platform development and techical testing * Task 5.3 - Platform piloting * Task 5.4 - Platform improvement and deployment Quality assurance: QA - Evaluation plan and QA - Monitoring Dissemination activities: * Dissemination plan * Dissemination outputs (website, social media, logos, templates) * Dissemination activities (newsletters, communications) * Dissemination - translation activities * Dissemination - exploitation & sustainability plan Multiplier Events in Poland (2), Romania (1) and Netherlands (1). Project meetings: 20 TELCOs (2.03.2022, 28.03.2022, 19.04.2022, 16.05.2022, 24.06.2022, 31.08.2022, 29.09.2022, 6.12.2022, 10.01.2023, 8.02.2023, 7.03.2023, 4.04.2023, 16.05.2023, 13.06.2023, 14.07.2023, 5.10.2023, 30.10.2023, 15.11.2023, 5.12.2023, 9.01.2024) plus Four Transnational Project Meetings - (1) Kick off meeting, (2) TPM in Lodz, (3) in Lisbon and (4)in Timisoara.
▶Impact
The following results and outcomes were realised: Result 1 – Acquiring responsible & impactful investment course *Specialized CUs based on EntreComp ARIEES Consortium prepared the trainings materials. Moreover, the content for the ARIEES Impact Investment course embedded in the existing curricula of WUT, UOL and in the existing trainings of FRP, EBAN and HELIXCONNECT. The result 1 is available on the projects website in three languages: English: https://ariees.eu/learn/ Polish: https://ariees.eu/pl/uczyc-sie/ Romanian: https://ariees.eu/ro/invata/ Result 2 – We realised 6 webinars (2,5h) as pilots for the course (for students, startups and investors) WEBINAR 1 - Impact investment in cleantech and sustainable startups WEBINAR 2 - Impact investment in deep tech ICT (artificial Intelligence) Startups WEBINAR 3 - Impact investment in cultural and creative startups WEBINAR 4 - Impact investment & startup business model transformation WEBINAR 5 - Engaging private impact investors for your startup WEBINAR 6 - Engaging public impact investors for your startup The result 2 is available on the projects website: English: https://ariees.eu/webinars/ Polish: https://ariees.eu/pl/webinars/ Romanian: https://ariees.eu/ro/webinars/ Result 3 – Train the trainers webinars (2,5h) with digital education pedagogical innovations. WEBINAR 7 - How to develop high quality OERs in entrepreneurship education? WEBINAR 8 - Engagement and motivation of entrepreneurship learners via neuroscience approaches WEBINAR 9 - Fostering an inclusive and personalized digital entrepreneurship education The result 3 is available on the projects website: English: https://ariees.eu/webinars/ Polish: https://ariees.eu/pl/webinars/ Romanian: https://ariees.eu/ro/webinars/ Result 4 – Digital micro-credential system development (based on EntreComp/DigComp) In result 4 ARIEES Consortium prepared the framework, then established, and launched 4 ARIEES Micro-Credentials and Certification Centres on impact investment and digital entrepreneurship teaching/training: * Micro-credential 1: EntreComp certification on teaching impact investment-infused entrepreneurship * Micro-credential 2: DigCompEdu certification for digital education delivery * Micro-credential 3: EBAN certificate on impact investment (trainers) * Micro-credential 4: EBAN certificate on impact investment (learners) The result 4 is available on the projects website in: English https://ariees.eu/certificationcentre/; Polish https://ariees.eu/pl/certification-centre/ ; Romanian https://ariees.eu/ro/certification-centre/ Result 5 – Networking platform: Impact investment Hub In this result ARIEES Consortium focused on developing an Impact Investment hub as an online network built upon a platform integrated in the website of ARIEES: https://ariees.eu/impact-investment-hub/. ARIEES Team made the platform requirements analysis, developed platform and technical tested it, then piloted and finally improved to realease the final version of the platform and launch the large-scale call for its users. ARIEES built a Network of 4 ARIEES Certification Centres. The result 5 is available on the projects website: English: https://ariees.eu/impact-investment-hub/ Polish https://ariees.eu/pl/centrum-inwestycji-impact/ Romanian https://ariees.eu/ro/hub-de-investitii-de-impact/ ARIEES Consortium realised KPIs as follows: * Developed Curriculum areas developed = 3 (Met: 1. Impact investment course is done, 2.Impact investment webinars, 3. Train the trainers webinars with digital education pedagogical innovations for entrepreneurship educators) * Conducted 6 impact investment webinars and 3 webinars with digital education pedagogical innovations for entrepreneurship education, ensuring at least 25% participation from social groups at risk. * Number of entrepreneurship students recruited from the UOL, WUT ecosystem = min. 300 (Met; 557 Exceed) * Number of impact investors from its EU wide network (EBAN) = min. 10 (Exceed, 13) * Number of adult learners, startups/entrepreneurs (FRP & HELIXCONNECT) = min. 200 (In progress 128, The possibility of using materials and certification in open access is still open to those interested. Therefore, an increase in the number of people who will benefit from ARIEES course materials is still expected) * Number of or percentage of the attendees motivated to make a request for certification= min. 40% at least 204 (Exceed 75,7% 674/890) *Percentage of the participants from social groups at risk (200 into these categories: social, economic, geographical, migrant background obstacles, educational difficulties, cultural differences) *Number of participants lecturers that deliver entrepreneurship courses from their ecosystem (in total UOL, WUT) = min. 150 (In progress 126, The possibility of using materials and certification in open access is still open to those interested. Therefore, an increase in the number of people who will benefit from ARIEES course materials is still expected) *Number of participants adult trainers on entrepreneurship, innovation and technology (FRP & HELIXCONNECT) = min. 50 (Exceed, 66) * Number of participants software developers, pedagogical experts and experience/ interface designers (ISQe) = min. 10 (Exceed, 12) * 1 platform with more than 200 students, 50 adult learners/entrepreneurs, 10 impact investors, 100 entrepreneurship lecturers / trainers and 5 policy makers (on enterprising, sustainability, impact investment) internationally registered on the platform and to engage in the virtual pilot. * Multiplier events = 4 (Met, 3), =150 person on-site (Exceed 178 person on-site ([159 local + 19 international participants]) * Micro-credential certification Centers = 4 (Met) Project dissemination activities: Website, 8 newsletters, social media profiles (LinkedIn and ARIEES YouTube Channel) with a weekly dissemination frequency aiming to reach 10,000 people on social media, promotional videos, media outlet promotion, policy briefings, paid ads during webinars, and digital leaflets/fliers. Engaged in storytelling through promotional videos and applied to new projects to extend the ARIEES initiative. KPIs as follows: * Dissemination strategy= 1 (Met) Website - 5780 organic interactions available in three languages. The project website reached 10,000 hits, with more than 85% positive feedback from communication target audiences. Three languages: English: https://ariees.eu/ Polish: https://ariees.eu/pl/ Romanian: https://ariees.eu/ro/ Newsletters = 6 (Exceed, 8) in Polish, Romanian and English (https://ariees.eu/downloads/, https://ariees.eu/pl/downloads/, https://ariees.eu/ro/downloads/) Social media profiles (Twitter, Linkedin) dissemination frequency and target people reached on social media (LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ariees-eu/ 4946 organic interactions, 208 followers, Twitter: https://twitter.com/ariees_eu, YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ARIEES2023/featured) Apply to new projects to extend ARIEES (Met - REED (Erasmus, 2023-2026) - aims to develop an ethical index for universities.For this purpose, the ARIEES efforts will be fully embedded in the pathway required to support ethical/responsible transformation of universities & SHIFT (Erasmus, 2023-2026) - aims to develop an ESG index for universities. Min. 25% of the participants should be from social groups at risk) 4 multiplier events that served as information and commitment exercises form external actors to further engage with the project outputs. Quality Assurance - Report. ARIEES Consortium got 77 support letters from various organisations. Partners share the results with 36 Educational institutions and 27 of other types (eg. NGOs, companies, public authorities, etc.).