OPSIZO Diversity & Inclusion in Microenterprise

The OPSIZO partnership aimed to create a transformative impact on the diversity and inclusion landscape within micro-enterprises in Europe. By implementing this project, the consortium aimed to de...

The OPSIZO partnership aimed to create a transformative impact on the diversity and inclusion landscape within micro-enterprises in Europe. By implementing this project, the consortium aimed to develop and disseminate innovative tools and tailor-made training programmes for small businesses, enabling them to promote more inclusive workplaces. Through their collaborative efforts, they sought to reduce the gap in D&I practices between large companies and smaller entities, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and productive business ecosystem across the EU. In terms of results, the ideal outcome was a training programme for micro-enterprises in the DEI area, but also a very specific set of guidelines and policy documents to ensure that learning and training could be widely disseminated across our networks. This is crucial to address the barriers women and sexual minorities meet in the workplace.

The OPSIZO partnership implemented a series of well-articulated and sequenced activities, grouped into four main WPs to achieve the project's main outcomes. These activities included the mapping of D&I dynamics in micro-enterprises (WP2), which provided the basis for understanding the current landscape. The partnership then focused on the development of training and operational materials for the OPSIZO Toolkit (WP3), which was subsequently translated into all consortium languages. A crucial component of the project was the design of a customised OER platform (WP4), a Digital Warehouse for all the educational resources developed during the project. This platform acted as a focal point for knowledge sharing and dissemination of project results. The partnership distributed the OPSIZO Toolkit to 224 representatives of the target groups, ensuring widespread implementation and impact. It then worked on mainstreaming the results through the creation of a ‘Manifesto for Diversity and Inclusion in Microenterprises’ (WP5), aimed at consolidating the project's impact and promoting long-term change in organisational practices.

The OPSIZO project produced several significant results: one of the first deliverables was the ‘Innovative Diversity and Inclusion Model’ (WP2), which traces the impact of COVID-19 on corporate welfare and gender dynamics in micro enterprises. The milestone of the project was the OPSIZO Toolkit (WP3), a set of training courses and operational tools in five languages (all the languages of the consortium), covering various aspects of D&I implementation in micro enterprises. The toolkit was validated through piloting activities (WP4) involving 224 target group members. Other key deliverables were the ‘Manifesto for Diversity and Inclusion in Micro-enterprises’ (WP5), a policy document for mainstreaming the results and the ‘Guidelines for embedding D&I initiatives in micro-enterprises’ (WP5), to ensure the long-term impact of the project. The creation of the OER Platform Digital Warehouse (WP4), an expandable online platform to host training resources and interactive elements and competence recognition mechanisms, was also crucial.