Foundational Training Course on Social Enterprise

Structured in 5 online modules, the course aims to equip and support training participants to adapt and modify their services to help social and under-represented entrepreneurs transform ideas into viable businesses and grow them by accessing new funding and market opportunities.

Register via the Google form here before 21 April 2021.

The Better Incubation programme will enable EU|BICs (quality-certified business support organisations), Impact Hubs, investors for impact, social actors, and entrepreneurs to share relevant skills, methods, tools and experiences to better work with and for entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs from different social backgrounds and guide them to define the most viable and feasible business models.

Training Programme at a glance

Organised by Impact Hub and EVPA, the training course will count on the valuable contribution of sectoral experts and practitioners that will guide participants into each module – the full description of each training modules is available at the end of this document.

MODULE 1 'Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship' Objective: Equip participants with an understanding of the common characteristics of social enterprises and the different forms these can take within a European context.	17 May 2021 (10:00-13:00 CET)
MODULE 2 'Programme Design and Delivery' Objective: Equip participants with a shared vocabulary and understanding of the entrepreneurial journey and inspiration for how they can offer programmatic support to entrepreneurs at different stages of this journey.	30 June 2021 (10:00-13:00 CET)
MODULE 3 'Impact Measurement and Management Objective: Offer participants the first introduction to impact measurement and management in order to provide some guidance for BSOs on how to better support social entrepreneurs in defining their impact objectives and in managing their impact with the final objective of maximising it.	30 September 2021 (10:00-13:00 CET)
MODULE 4 'Communicating Impact' Objective: Equip participants with the knowledge to identify their communication needs relating to social entrepreneur support and confidence to develop strategies that address these needs.	20 October 2021 (10:00-13:00 CET)
MODULE 5 'Funding Instruments' Objective: Offer participants an introduction to the funding opportunities available for social entrepreneurs.	28 October 2021 (10:00-13:00 CET)

Who can apply?

The training allows up to 30 participants, focussing on individuals working for and in Business Support Organisations of all kinds. Participants can sign up for the whole training course or specific modules. The training is first addressing EBN members.

Better Incubation reserved 20 seats for individuals from EU|BICs and Associate Members that meet the following requirements:

Programmes Managers / Incubation Managers
At least 1 year of experience within their current organisation Membership to EBN networks
Capacity and commitment to design and deliver support services to social entrepreneurs
Capacity to work in English (the language of the training)

Preference will be given to individuals that:

can attend all five modules
are headquartered in one of the EaSI countries (EU Member States, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein (in accordance with the EEA Agreement), Albania, Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.

10 more seats will be allocated for additional participants, such as:

Impact Hub Company staff or local Impact Hub Program Managers
EVPA staff or Network members
Strategic partners such as funders and policymakers

Participants attending the whole training course will receive a certificate of attendance released by the Better Incubation partners.

The EBN members will also benefit from:

Additional coaching/mentoring support- prioritised for individuals that attend Module 1 and Module 2
In-depth Impact Measurement and Management training (15 places) by EVPA and Social Value International - prioritised for individuals that attend all 5 modules.

Download the Training Brochure to discover the 5 modules in details and get more information about the coaching/mentoring service and the in-depth training course on Impact Measurement and Management.

About Better Incubation

Better Incubation is an EC funded initiative powered by LIAISE - Linking Incubation Actors for Inclusive and Social Entrepreneurship Project which aims to kickstart an “eco-systemic” change bringing incubation and business support services closer to the whole society.

The European Business and Innovation Centre Network (EBN), Impact Hub and EVPA – Investing for Impact are joining forces to provide capacity building and networking opportunities to European Business Support Organisations willing to expand their services to social and inclusive entrepreneurship. Better Incubation seeks to promote entrepreneurship as an impactful contributor to solve social, ecological and economic issues in Europe.

The possibility to be self-employed and to create one's job could be more inclusively offered, allowing more unemployed, vulnerable people from under-represented groups to fully participate in society and the economy. Business support organisations (BSO), in all their varieties, could expand their scope and increase their role by providing capacity-building and support services to innovative SMEs taking up the call to deliver in the sustainable transition. Ultimately, Better Incubation mobilises BSOs and related actors to grow their capacities and expand their outreach to inclusive and social entrepreneurs.

LIAISE has received financial support from the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation 'EaSI' (2014-2020) under Grant Agreement n° VS/2020/0374. For further information please consult: http://ec.europa.eu/social/easi”