Recommendations

Erasmus+, KA220-HED — Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education

DigiFunCollab — Developing Digital Self-Learning Courses in Social Entrepreneurship

Project Number: 2023-1-IT02-KA220-HED-00015873

Policy Recommendations

Introduction

Social entrepreneurship has emerged as a transformative force in addressing complex global challenges, including sustainability, inequality, and social exclusion. Educators, students, policymakers, and counsellors play a pivotal role in fostering an environment conducive to the growth and impact of social enterprises. This page synthesizes recommendations for these stakeholders, highlighting strategies to advance social entrepreneurship education and policy frameworks across different contexts.

Recommendations for Educators and Students

  1. Holistic Education for Social Change: Prepare students and social entrepreneurs to address multifaceted challenges in sustainability, politics, and the economy. Emphasize creating social value, promoting sustainability, and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  2. Transformative & Practical Learning: Engage learners via lectures, case studies, and hands-on workshops to build and scale social enterprises. Topics include:
    • Legal structures for social enterprises
    • Characteristics of successful social entrepreneurs
    • Strategies for achieving social impact and sustainability
  3. Entrepreneurial Mindset & Competencies: Treat challenges as innovation opportunities by:
    • Developing and testing innovative teaching methods
    • Facilitating learning processes over traditional lecturing
    • Incorporating ongoing research to refine practice
  4. Professional Development for Educators: Invest in training that equips educators to inspire students and provide tools for tackling societal challenges.
  5. Cross-Cultural Considerations: Tailor curricula to local socio-economic and cultural contexts.

Recommendations for Counsellors and Policymakers

Country-specific

Germany
  • Integration into Economic Frameworks: Position social enterprises as integral to economic and social transformation.
  • Diverse Policy Approaches: Use multi-dimensional strategies addressing ecological, societal, and economic goals.
Italy
  • Build on Third Sector Reforms: Enhance innovation, technology adaptation, and employability.
  • Cultural Sensitivity: Align policies with Italy’s cultural dynamics to address local challenges.

Romania
  • Unified Vision for Social Entrepreneurship: Align policies with Romania’s socio-economic context.
  • Supportive Legal Frameworks: Continue developing regulations that foster sustainability and innovation.
Slovenia
  • Strengthen Ecosystems: Improve access to finance, enhance legal frameworks, and strengthen social-impact measurement.
  • Sustainable Development Focus: Promote policies addressing ecological and social challenges.

Level of European Union

  1. Legal & Regulatory Frameworks:
    • Establish EU-wide legal definitions and minimum standards for social enterprises.
    • Facilitate cross-border activities to integrate social enterprises into the EU market.
  2. Financial Support:
    • Promote diverse funding sources (public and hybrid models) for sustainability.
    • Strengthen fiscal frameworks to foster innovation and resilience.
  3. Cross-Border Cooperation: Leverage EU territorial cooperation programmes for regional cohesion.
  4. Education & Training: Address skills gaps with innovative training focused on sustainability, growth challenges, and management.
  5. Broader Strategic Efforts: Emphasize transformative social change, strengthen social procurement, and explore new funding models.

Conclusion

Success in social entrepreneurship depends on aligning education, policy, and practice to tackle global and local challenges. Stakeholders should collaborate to create supportive ecosystems, enhance legal and financial frameworks, and equip future leaders with the skills and mindset to drive sustainable, meaningful change.

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

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