More detailled Summary:

The integration of a large number of refugees is currently an urgent, outstanding task in many EU countries, which requires the commitment of all social stakeholders. Refugees who have profound professionalism and good entrepreneurial potentials can be trained as entrepreneurs in a comparatively short period of time in the host country and integrated into working life as a successor or entrepreneur for small enterprises and make valuable contributions to the economic development. The project pursues this innovative, promising approach.

Many SMEs experience a critical moment by handing over the company to a successor when the owner retires. In fact, more jobs are lost annually due to failed business transfers than new ones are created by business start-ups. A major cause of the failed business transfers and thus the high loss of jobs in many EU countries is the large shortage of qualified successors, which is currently growing. Through qualification and integration of refugees as entrepreneurs, the project makes an important contribution to successful SME business transfers and start-ups.

Having said that the project pursues the main objective of integrating refugees and immigrants in the best possible way and thus ensure SMEs transfers at the same time through:

(A) the rapid integration of refugees into their working lives by training and  promotion of entrepreneurship,
(B) recruit additional target groups and increase the number of potential SME successors and founders,
(C) improve entrepreneurial skills to attract qualified entrepreneurs, to ensure innovative success and to secure and increase the number of SMEs and jobs.

The project is carried out by 5 partners from Germany, Italy, Austria and Hungary. The internationally active lead partner is particularly experienced in the training and support of SMEs as well as in the implementation of complex public projects. Three partners are chambers, respectively, affiliated institutions dedicated to the training of entrepreneurs and the promotion of local SMEs for many years. An university is successfully involved in the training of entrepreneurs and particularly experienced in the development of corresponding curricula as well as in quality assurance and evaluation processes.

The project comprises 7 work packages with the following main activities.

1. Project management and implementation of 6 transnational partner meetings and 2 international multiplier events.
2. Identification of individual competences and entrepreneurial potentials of refugees and, on this basis, consultations on further professional careers and necessary qualifications, as well as individual consulting measures.
3. Professional language training as well as trainings to increase motivation, ideas and planning of entrepreneurial activities.
4. Training to an entrepreneur, which is concluded with an official further training degree. This comprehensive qualification process is accompanied by individual consultations and coaching as well as supplemented by the necessary retraining courses.
5. Trainings regarding preparation of an SME take-over or business start-up, as well as for graduates of entrepreneurship who do not want to work independently.
6. Integration of trained refugees in existing programs to promote and advise until after the company has been taken over or is established.
7. Transfer of project results to 68 chambers and universities/universities of applied sciences from 13 countries, which are involved as associated project partners during implementation and receive sustainable implementation advice and carry out further dissemination activities.

While the individual activities can be based on existing experiences and materials, consultation procedures, curricula, etc. must be developed, tested and evaluated specifically for the target group “refugees”. Therefore a project duration of 3 years is mandatory.

For the five products of the project

• Blueprints for the reliable identification of entrepreneurial competencies and for the counselling of individual career and education plans,
• Curricula for trainings to promote motivation and to create ideas for activities as entrepreneurs,
• Curricula and regulations for the training of entrepreneurs,
• Curricula for trainings for preparation as well as blueprints for the realization of SMEs Takeovers and business start –
• Comprehensive printed manual with wide distribution, available for all interested parties

A high sustainable use is ensured by means of a process-oriented expansion of the implementation regions, including financing.