Transformational Entrepreneurship Hubs for Recognized Refugee Re-starters / Enter to Transform

Aims and tasks

The project “ENTER to Transform” is a project funded by the Interreg North-West Europe (NWE).To sustain growth & innovation in North-West Europe (NWE), we need enterprises in general incl. recognized refugees' (RR) starting enterprises. The project helps raising the numbers of RR starting in NWE by increasing entrepreneurship capacity of RR and the capacity of institutions dealing with this target group. Target group are the 27% of 521.635 RR in the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and France (Eurostat, 2017) who have a business background and the experience to restart in NWE. The project offers a social innovation addressing RR re-starters to become ready for business creation. RR with business experiences in their home countries have a huge potential to restart but need specific knowledge and special mentoring to adopt their abilities as entrepreneurs to the NWE economy. The project develops a supportive environment of hubs, which function through mentoring as “door opener” for RR re-starters to enter existing entrepreneurial infrastructure in the regions. By door opening the project avoids parallel structures, but introduces RRs to how, by whom and where to get the tools they need to restart in the regions. The RR re-starters in NWE will be supported along the business phases stand-up, start-up and scaling and distinct from existing initiatives, with a focus on 4 sectors: health (especially care), crafts (especially manufacturing), ICT services, trade (sales representatives). These sectors reported recruitment bottlenecks (Cedefop, 2018). Different to other approaches, the project supports the RR restarters through a co-creative approach incl. a two-way integration path, and an opportunity-driven focus on entrepreneurship rather than necessity-based start-ups. Based on a transnational framework, each partner region will foster social innovation by a hub roll-out based on a transnational designed pilot hub. Outputs: Increased entrepreneurial capacity (proven by portfolio), restarters with a business plan, actually started businesses (registered as business) of which individuals created self-employment, new hubs in NWE, an inclusive, lasting entrepreneurship network.

Official website Interreg North-West Europe

Enter to Transform - Transformational Entrepreneurship Hubs for Recognized Refugee Re-starters