Digital communications are revolutionising our economy and society, enabling disruptive innovation and creating new business models. In the words of JC Juncker, President of the European Commission, “Europe's path to growth is paved with tablets and smartphones.” (1)Yet the digital landscape is complex and as new business models emerge, our education and VET systems are lagging behind. The gap between real world opportunities and teaching is most acute in the creative industries where generic online retail strategies do not apply, but new collaborative models abound: online marketplaces, outsourcing communities, crowdsourcing funding are just some of the many opportunities which facilitate personalised marketing and pricing, while also ensuring secure payment and intellectual property rights. Now, more than ever, the creative and cultural sector can benefit from “going digital”Creative Entrepreneurship Online (CEO) aims to enable integrated action among VET providers and wider stakeholders to radically improve training for creative sector entrepreneurs, enabling them to harness online business models to grow professionally and increase their commercial success in domestic and international markets. In order to do so, we will: a) Establish sustainable, cross-sector collaborative relationships between VET providers, HEIs, and wider stakeholders via 3 Regional Alliances to optimise the creative sector knowledge triangle, create 3 Regional Action Plans for improving the quality and relevance of training and support on offer and creative spillovers to other sectors.b) Create and publish a “CEO Toolkit” to facilitate the replication of Regional Alliances across Europe. c) Create and publish a course curriculum, guiding VET practitioners on the topics and skills most needed by creative entrepreneurs in today’s digital landscape. d) Develop an intensive blended learning “Be a CEO” course to help potential creative entrepreneurs to set up online business in 30 days. e) Trial and publish the course, and engage in dissemination activities to facilitate its inclusion in mainstream VET provision.Our unique methodology puts participants and stakeholders at the heart of the project as a means to ensuring immediate results, wide relevance and fulfilment of needs of all parties concerned. Specifically we will test materials thoroughly by training 40+ creative sector entrepreneurs and work directly with the enterprise centres that provide training and support for creative enterprises; and we will build sustainable, synergistic relationships between stakeholders in VET and enterprise education, higher education, creative sector bodies and wider economic stakeholders, through the Regional Alliances. (12+ actors in each region, 36+ in total.) CEO is the first project of its kind to directly address the most recent developments in online business for the creative sector. This new category of training enables entrepreneurs to identify a much wider range of “sellable skills and services”, and to think of ecommerce not as simply selling and shipping a product, but as an evolving marketplace for selling creative services by the hour or by project, for funding new projects, for collaborating at distance with artists, and in doing so, crossing borders seamlessly, as part of a real single market.As a direct result of the project, - creative entrepreneurs will be equipped to use at least one, if not more online strategies within 30 days, will gain a competitive advantage and are more likely to increase turnover from domestic and international markets. - VET providers, especially enterprise centres and business development centres, will benefit from an immediate addition to their portfolio of training services and improved staff capacity for training in online business models.- Universities and colleges will also be able to improve teaching for young, prestart creative entrepreneurs by adopting the curriculum and course. (It will be designed so that training modules can be taught/learnt independently of one another if needed, leading to a flexible needs-based learning).On a wider level, key players in VET / enterprise education, higher education, creative sector and economic development will gain improved understanding of the new parameters of the creative sector, as well as access to specific policy tools and operational strategies that will help enable them to catalyse the evolution of creative enterprises. Based on this process, the commitments that each organization makes as part of the Regional Action Plan, and the strong social capital created, these organizations will be better able to fulfil their organizational mission (be it enterprise training, creative sector growth, economic development, etc) and to do so in a cost effective way (by pooling resources) which maximises economic growth and creative/cultural identity at regional level.

<< Objectives >>DARE OVERREACHING OBJECTIVE: To tackle labour market shortages by promoting a more inclusive and diverse European Economy by enabling VET Professionals to train SMEs in diversity-oriented organisational development to engage marginalized and discriminated groups in a more inclusive labour market.<< Implementation >>Our methodology is based on an in-depth competency framework that supports the development of our comprehensive training resources. The approach's core is our Innovative Assessment Web-App, which can be used directly by VET providers, trainers, and SMEs. It analyses knowledge gaps and the diversity readiness of SMEs, provides detailed feedback and strategy approaches, and links to exactly those specific resources on our interactive Knowledge Hub to close the knowledge gaps.<< Results >>- Development of a novel COMPETENCE FRAMEWORK and CURRICULUM (WP2)- TEACHING AND LEARNING MATERIALS (WP3) to match the skills and knowledge gaps, designed to be accessible, inclusive, culture and gender sensitive, equipped with case studies and background materials and published also as OERs on an INTERACTIVE KNOWLEDGE HUB that also allows for social learning and peer to peer exchange and - an innovative INTERACTIVE DIVERSITY READINESS ASSESSMENT APP (WP4) and dissemination activities (WP5)

<< Background >>The COVID-19 pandemic has provided many employees with new and more flexible options on where, when and how they work. But it has also challenged their physical and mental health at work. While digital technology brings innumerable and irreplaceable benefits to our working life, with huge increases in productivity, competitiveness and innovation. On the other hand, digital overload is an increasing problem: with risks of unrestricted use of technology in the workplace, including the negative effects of multitasking and the “always on” culture on individuals’ professional performance and their mental health. Moreover, given the rapid pace of change, the vast majority of managers have had to navigate this transition without prior training.While legislation surrounding employee wellbeing is coming down the pipeline for many EU members states, SMEs are still slow to respond. Studies find that while 23 per cent of firms with 5,000-plus staff increased provision of mental health initiatives, barely one in ten of SMEs have.For partners, the project responds to our common need to introduce new training on digital wellbeing management for employees in SMEs. As SME’s and business VET providers, not only are partners in need of this skills upgrade themselves, but the project will also help maintain and grow their client base. An additional need is to continue to innovate in the provision of soft skills relating to digitisation of work. In a strategic sense, the project responds to our need to align our training with wider European trends and policy: Digi WorkWell focus on employee digital wellbeing (emphasis on wellbeing) will allow us to integrate transversal digital and social competences which have come to the fore in the last year.For SME managers, Digi WorkWell responds to their challenge of needing the knowledge and skills to manage the accelerated digitisation of work life and the impact this has on employee wellbeing. Digi WorkWell will meet their needs by providing flexible, modular training that is tailored specifically to the context in which they work and size of their company. Firstly, the Business Case for Employee Digital Wellbeing (R1) will address any awareness deficits of the scale and significance of the topic, and build foundational knowledge. Secondly, Digital Wellbeing Check-up (R2) will enable SME managers to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in relation to employee digital wellbeing. Finally, Digital Wellbeing training programme (R3) responds to the needs of general or HR managers who want both training and accompaniment, a more hands-on approach to skills building inhouse.In addition, the project meets the needs of SME employees, who are the indirect participants and beneficiaries of the project. The project addresses their need and right for a healthy working environment with competent management of their productivity and care of their wellbeing.Finally, business education providers who are a trusted source of training for SMEs also face similar challenges to partners in the pace of change and lack of up-to-date training curricula and content, Digi Work Well will provide free to access, open education resources that they can integrate into current learning provision in the short term<< Objectives >>The overall objective of Digi WorkWell is to design, develop and implement a new approach to train SME managers and entrepreneurship teachers across Europe in digital wellbeing. The end result will be to improve the managers own digital competences, while also boosting the capacity of their organisation to manage this digital working life transition and prevent fails in output from their workforce.In doing so, we will contribute to two important European priorities. The first is adapting VET to labour market needs. This will be achieved by the creation of a brand-new curriculum and content that purposefully balances digital productivity with digital wellbeing. In addition, VET will adapt by enabling more wider access to training, since existing training is geared towards multinational corporations and is of limited relevance to the very large group of SME managers.We will make an important contribution to the way in which VET, and the wider business world, are approaching the Digital Transformation. Digital skills are often equated with technical skills and much VET has focussed on the introduction of tools and technology. However, Digi WorkWell will empower VET providers and the SMEs they serve to navigate the digital transformation from a perspective of soft or managerial skills, especially digital responsibility and wellbeing. All of our outputs will develop managers’ ability to create working environments and supervisory practices that recognise and mitigate the risks of intensive digital work, ushering in the new skills required for the next stage of digital transformation in SMEs. This achievement is also linked to the skills outlined in Dig Comp 2.0 relating to protecting health and wellbeing.The project will also make a significant impact on the skills and professional capacities of our main target group, SME managers. As a result of using the Digi WorkWell resources and training, owner-managers, HR managers, line managers and team leaders will overcome attitudinal barriers to change, acquire entirely new knowledge and skills, blending technical competence with the communication and intercultural skills. Ultimately, they will be better equipped to act as leaders of the digital transition in their companies, pushing forward a working environment that that favours employee wellbeing and productivity.In addition, the project will spur achievements for partners and other providers of business training: business trainers, advisors, consultants and coaches will be able to accelerate the introduction of this much needed training in a way that is wholly accessible and relevant to their SME clients. Training providers integrating these services will consolidate their position as future-oriented organisations ready to contribute to 21st century skills development in the face of a rapidly changing context. Partners will have a first-mover advantage and more in-depth knowledge of the field and younger staff will gain important experience in transnational collaborative work.Finally, we expect that the project will spur stakeholders from the VET sector, and wider business education providers even in higher education, to reflect on how training must continually be updated to reflect labour market needs and avoid growing skills mismatches. They will be more conscious of the role of teaching non-technical skills related to the growing use of digital technology and more committed to including digital wellbeing in business and entrepreneurship curricula moving forwards.<< Implementation >>The project involves three key educational resources (results), as well as the horizontal activities required for successful project execution: management, impact evaluation, promotion and sustainability.RESULTS DEVELOPMENT The resources will be developed sequentially. Each Result is designed to be used as an independent resource. However, they also work together: partners build on the content developed in previous resources and managers can find complementary knowledge and skills development in all three.R1: The Business Case for Employee Digital Wellbeing is first in our work plan to enable partners to quickly engage in knowledge sharing and peer learning, thus consolidating the working relationships and laying the groundwork for the following outputs.R2: Digital Wellbeing Check-up is our second major activity. This involves developing a self-assessment tool and report which will be used directly by self-employed owner/managers, but will also be made available in a separate version for education and training advisers.R3: Digital Wellbeing Training Programme: A complete set of learning objectives, training materials and case studies providing Owner/Managers AND those working in a business advisory capacity with in-company programme.All resources will be open, published online and free to download and use, and where possible editable formats will be used to enable materials to be adapted and transferred for further use.ROUTE TO IMPACTBuilt around the resources are the transversal and project management activities which enable us to ensure their introduction, effectiveness and longevity as resources for use in European education projects.Impact Evaluation is a key component to ensure results are translated into impact. In the first partner we will carry out an impact+ workshop session to strengthen our understanding of the theory of change implicit in the project.Testing and implementation with the target groups is also essential. 15 managers will take part in the Participants’ Forum, and 90 SME managers and 42 trainers will use the resources. Their experience will contribute to improvements before the final materials and promotion, as well as playing an important role in our multiplier events, wider promotion and sustainability strategy as “ambassadors” to the project’s impact.In terms of promotion, our dissemination strategy is robust and will be supported by four multiplier events are scheduled for month 23/24. They will ensure that our outputs are promoted, and that stakeholders actively understand their value and are motivated to introduce them in their own organisations.<< Results >>This project is based on the premise that to make the most of digital technology, employees must be allowed to work in an environment which supports balanced digital use. SME managers must therefore develop the competences that enable them to shape company culture and practice in a way that encourages productive use of technology without compromising employee wellbeing.To achieve this, we will create training resources that can be used directly by SME managers to improve their competences in the field of digital wellbeing. We will also enable them to be used by business educators and trainers who can help us reach the largest number of SME managers possible.Therefore our project focuses on the creation of three new training resources:R1: The Business Case for Employee Digital Wellbeing - A high profile report with supporting materials such as an Executive Summary, animated video explainers, case studies and infographics that highlights the trend of digital wellbeing and raise awareness about the importance of introducing training for Managers in managing and supporting employees digital usage while working.R2: Digital Wellbeing Check Up. An interactive online tool enabling SME managers to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses in relation to employee digital wellbeing and to determine a suitable pathway through the subsequent learning materials (R2/R3). A separate version will be designed for business advisors so they can apply the tool with a larger number of clients.R3: Digital Wellbeing Training Programme. A complete set of learning objectives, training materials and case studies providing SME Managers and business advisors to gain the knowledge, skills and self-belief required to implement an in-company programme to prevent employee digital overload.During the project, the following outcomes will be achieved:- 90 SME managers (15 per partner) will use/test R1: Business Case and once launched it will be downloaded more than 600 times during the project lifespan. They will acquire new knowledge and be motivated to continue to develop their new digital wellbeing skills.-42 Business Advisors (7 per partner) will help us test the Pathway Creator with 120 SME managers. Advisors will be ready to mainstream this tool and SMEs will improve understanding of digital wellbeing/overload. A further 300 Advisors and SMEs will use the Pathway Creator during the project lifespan.-24 business advisors will use the Training Programme with 72 SMEs (4 each) during the project. A further 240 individuals, mostly business advisors but also stakeholders and SME managers, will download and use all or part of the OERs during the project lifespan. They will increase their knowledge of digital wellbeing and improve their entrepreneurial competences needed to lead change in this field.As a result of the above, the project will make a significant contribution to updating the provision of VET in the business sector so as to better reflect the real life needs of small businesses and the people that work in them. - Partners and VET organizations will have more relevant, high quality training products that are free to use - SME general managers and HR managers will develop skills needed for 21st management, helping them thrive in the post-pandemic context and navigate the challenges of increased digitalization. - Employees will benefit from improved working conditions, with effective management and a work culture that enables mental and physical wellbeing. The project will also generate useful results for partners: they will use the project to develop the digital wellbeing skills of their own staff in both pedagogic terms and in a practical way. Staff will gain a very pragmatic understanding of how teach broader, non-technical digital competences. They will be the first to introduce the training model into their educational programmes and staff will have a competitive advantage in the field given their level of specialist expertise.

Recognised as the driving force behind sustainable economic growth and job creation, innovation remains at the forefront of development plans. However, Eastern European countries, notably Poland, Hungary and Croatia, lag behind their EU peers in almost all aspects of innovation. Moreover, while the majority of European/national innovation programmes focus on increasing R&D spending and technology absorption, the World Bank points out that, “This will be a long and difficult process because technological innovation does not yet seem to be a part of Poland’s economic DNA.” (Toward an Innovative Poland 2015). More generally, a hi-tech, high investment innovation approach is risky given the financial constraints faced by small businesses today, high levels of market saturation and the low consumer spending in the age of austerity. Frugal innovation, in contrast, is a low tech, cost effective approach which employs design thinking and problem solving skills to generate innovative and value-maximizing products and services. Frugal innovation can enable businesses across Poland and Europe to grow in spite of current economic conditions, by better meeting the demands of local price-sensitive consumers, solving unmet needs and opening up exports to global base-of-the-pyramid markets. OUR OBJECTIVES Our overall goal was to introduce the frugal innovation education to our enterprise-oriented VET institutions and universities and by extension, our economies. In order to do so, we have produced the following: i. Created 4 FRUGAL INNOVATION REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP PLANS (IO1), convening actors from across the public, private and education sectors. ii. Develop 2 CLASSROOM CURRICULUMS, TEACHERS’ PACKS AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS (IO2) to introduce effective Frugal Innovation teaching in classroom settings in the VET and HE sector iii. Develop 1 OPEN ONLINE TRAINING COURSE WITH SELF ASSESSMENT (IO3) to widen access to frugal innovation for existing entrepreneurs and SME owners; iv. Rigorously test and improve the resources with the target groups, then disseminate to maximize the uptake of the resources. The project involved participants at all stages, from design to execution to evaluation, specifically: - 50+ enterprise focussed VET & HE institutions and wider stakeholders participated in the REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP PLANS - 6+ SMEs or other organizations have their CASE STUDIES developed for use in the course materials - 24 teaching staff from VET institutions and HEIs have participated in the USER TESTING - 60 HE students, VET students and existing entrepreneurs/SMEs have participated in USER TESTING Altogether in the user testing there was 138 participants. - 226 VET institutions, HE institutions and wider stakeholders have participated in MULTIPLIER EVENTS Using a careful theory of change analysis, our tangible outputs have been designed to serve as catalysts and tools to enable broader and deeper outcomes which are both: a) knowledge outcomes (changes) b) behaviour outcomes (changes). These are more “intangible” in nature, but since they are crucial to the ability of the project to achieve its final goal, have also been monitored closely and measured throughout the project. The following tangible results have been produced by the project: a) 1 Project Management Handbook b) 4 Frugal Innovation Partnership Plans c) 2 Classroom course Curriculums, Teachers’ Packs and Assessment Guides d) 1 Open Online Training Course. e) 1 User Experience Test and Feedback Report f) 1 Integrated Dissemination Strategy h)1 Impact Evaluation Strategy i) 1 Dissemination Record and Report j) 1 Internal evaluation report k) 1 sustainability trategy l) 4 newsletters in all partner languagesm) 4 promotional videos in all partner languages n) 1 Impact Evaluation and Quality Monitoring report The tangible results will led to the following outcomes and impacts: - HE AND VET INSTITUTIONS AND WIDER STAKEHOLDERS acquired working knowledge of frugal innovation and will demonstrate greater commitment to support it - TEACHING STAFF in HE and enterprise focussed VET institutions in 4 regions expanded their knowledge and skills, being able to integrate frugal innovation into their teaching services. - HE STUDENTS, ENTREPRENEURS AND SMEs have developed Frugal Innovation mind-set and skills for application in their professional lives to help them create new services and/or address new markets and grow their businesses. - WIDER STAKEHOLDERS AND POLICY MAKERS gained greater awareness, & knowledge of frugal innovation as a new and important aspect of innovation education. In addition, the impact of the project has been felt at local and regional level through the strengthening of innovation teaching and the ability of thousands of entrepreneurs to engage in low-tech, practical innovation on the ground. .

CONTEXTThe Covid Pandemic has caused huge disruption to our economies and societies. Europe’s SME are among the hardest hit, with steep drops in revenues threatening the very existence of their businesses. Entrepreneurship educators have a critical role to play, providing managers and staff with access to the knowledge and skills training they need to reinvigorate their business models and survive the crisis. However, facing the imperative to embrace digital teaching and learning, entrepreneurship educators themselves need to improve their own digital competences in order to rise to the challenge. In response, the OBJECTIVE of INDEED is clear: increase the ability and motivation of Entrepreneurship Educators to embrace inclusive digital pedagogy and tools in their training and mentoring. In doing so, they will not only increase the overall effectiveness of the learning outcomes, they will also become agents of change to improve the digital competences of entrepreneurs & SMEs.ACTIVITIES In order to achieve this objective, we will produce 3 complementary outputs:IO1: The Inclusive Digital Pedagogy Toolbox. An interactive publication featuring the 20 best digital learning resources of particular relevance for Entrepreneurship, tested and tried by our team, with practical guidance on how to use them.IO2: Digital Pedagogy Online Learning Course. A course that Entrepreneurship Educators can use to strengthen their own digital skills. IO3: Inclusive Entrepreneurship Hackathon. A Guide that introduces EEs to the concept of a Hackathon on creative digital pedagogic approaches & tools and guides them on how to use these tools and techniques to implement more inclusive, more innovative, more impactful teaching.TARGET GROUPSThe project specifically targets Entrepreneurship Educators in colleges and continuing VET comprising enterprise trainers, lecturers, business coaches etc. In addition, small businesses, encompassing early stage entrepreneurs and established sole traders, micro and small enterprises are a secondary target group.Finally, although a VET project, given our partnership profile, INDEED is also likely to cause positive impact for educators and managers in Adult and Higher Education too.RESULTSDuring the life span of the project 500 entrepreneurship educators will receive or download our outputs; 80 Entrepreneurship VET organizations will share the resource with their staff and deliver the INDEED online course, resulting in even greater numbers of upskilled educators; 30 stakeholder organizations will become more aware of the urgency of improving the digital competences within entrepreneurship VET and explore new ways to support and incentivise organizations who offer this training.IMPACTINDEED has been carefully designed to ensure that the outputs that are produced and the activities carried out in the project are capable of generating the desired impact for each target group. By improving the skills and attitudes of business educators to increase the use of digital tools and digital teaching we will impact not only the effectiveness of entrepreneurship training to individual trainees and groups, but be able to create waves of change regarding the use of digital technology in entrepreneurship VET as a whole.At a national level the project will impact on the entrepreneurship VET sector by showing how it can and must adjust to harness the power of digital technology, or risk failing itself and its trainees and clients. We will demonstrate that resistance to change can be overcome and that increasing digital competences and closing the skills gap will not occur automatically; it requires systematic investment and support in the development of the digital competences of our teachers and trainers. At international level, the project will impact positively on the ongoing work of EU bodies to develop robust yet practical frameworks for competence development and to close the digital skills gap. The EntreComp, DigComp, DigCompOrg and DigCompEdu frameworks will be reference points throughout the project.