Project aim: SEMPRE Accelerators is an extension of the project SEMPRE—Social Empowerment in Rural Areas. While the focus of SEMPRE/1 was the development of business ideas with tools such as the social business model canvas or the theory of change, the extension stage will go further. The partners will apply additional support mechanisms to accelerate the growth and development of eight of the most promising micro projects and turn them into successful, self-sustaining social start-ups that consistently offer services and/or products on local and regional markets of the Baltic Sea Region. The project will thus create eight good practice examples of dynamic and successful social start-ups that enrich the social service landscape and take pressure off established service providers and public authorities who face increasingly difficult framework conditions for service provision in rural areas. Also the project will enhance three main outputs of the original SEMPRE project - The Empowerment Handbook, The Organisational Roadmap for Leaders and the Guidebook for Empowerment Training. One additional output of the extension stage project is a framework for a more inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem. Its objective is to sensitise decision-makers responsible for innovation support schemes and funding programmes for the potentials and needs of disadvantaged entrepreneurs.
Project duration: 09/2019 - 01/2021 (24 months)
Lead partner: Diaconie of Schleswig-Holstein
Partners:
- Diaconie of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
- University College South Denmark, Denmark
- Academy of economics Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
- Sunderby Folk high school, Sweden
- Lutheran Diaconia, Lithuania
- Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, Latvia
- Diaconal centre Liepaja, Latvia
- Estonian evangelical Lutheran church), Estonia
Funding source: The project is implemented by Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programe. Total funding of project partner (Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences) is 100 000 EUR, ERAF co-funding is 85 000 EUR. The total funding of project is 998, 069.65 EUR.
Project manager: Madara Narņicka
Research participants: Anna Broka, Hanna Mihailova, Kaspars Osis.
Project homepage: http://www.sempre-project.eu/