"The European Certificate in Community Enterprise (ECCE) is a new European-level vocational qualification being developed by partners from UK, France, Spain, Sweden and Romania. During the life of the project they combine their knowledge and experience to create a relevant, flexible and needs-driven qualification to specifically support growth across Europe's Social Economy. ECCE also sets up a new Learning Network as a way of disseminating and mainstreaming ECCE and its specialist toolkit.ECCE project partners work collaboratively to develop the tools, knowledge and resources necessary to deliver a highly-effective, accredited social enterprise start-up programme. Each partner pools their knowledge and experience to establish a new vocational qualification to be used as a development path for people unaware of their potential to set up socially-responsible venture, which contributes to the socio-economic wellbeing of their community, their peers and their countriesIn turn these ECCE certificate-holders inspire fellow social entrepreneurs and enthusiastically encourage others to take up the training available to them through the partners. By targeting hard-to-reach communities through this project the ECCE certificate also represents a vocational learning bridge between people with lower level prior educational achievements and higher education. Demand for higher education and training in social enterprise grows as a result of ECCE; a result that will continue beyond the current project’s funded timeline.ECCE has the potential to drive significant social change. The partners develop the means for large numbers of aspiring social entrepreneurs to become enterprising and focused agents for change across Europe. It also allows each partner organisation to develop good practice within their own daily work.Context:Most Member States have introduced measures to try to overcome the current economic down-turn. Governments are reducing subsidies & cutting grants to NGOs who in turn have increased need to respond to growing local needs created by these cuts. This creates a needs-driven opportunity for NGOs to emerge as social enterprises; developing business skills that to date have not taken priority. But training is needed.Background:Balancing needs of clients alongside those of commercial enterprise causes problems for organisations with a social purpose. This is a challenge but it also creates a niche market for growth. Many NGOs have potential to become quality providers of jobs, supporting by the emergence of enterprise. Some of the world's best and most successful entrepreneurs have been excluded members of society in their personal past. Using their natural entrepreneurship ""street-wise"" skills are used to overcome poverty & disadvantage. Many have had no entry-level qualifications that would have allowed them to access HE. This anomaly exists across Europe. (EU Platform against Poverty, EU2020). Through links to previous projects the partners have recognised a need for a bespoke, practical and effective toolkit to help incubate new enterprise within the social economy. ECCE responds to that need.Method used:The partners strengthened links between VET & the labour market by designing the ECCE course & working together to draft the framework for a new vocational qualification based on the needs of the social economy. Lisbon Strategy includes developing VET par-excellence. Without capturing natural entrepreneurship the EU will not meet these targets. The partners analysed each vocational system within their own country, compared and evaluated its strengths and weaknesses, took best elements from each, shaping ECCE. A report was published and preparation was made for mainstreaming. Objectives:1. To work with partners to analyse the training needs of social entrepreneurs across Europe. 2. To design a new vocationally-based Certificate in European Community Enterprise.3. Carry out study visits and workshops to recognise and build on good practice and to transfer innovation to create new and bespoke learning opportunities to meet a niche market.4. Pilot the new ECCE course containing a Social Enterprise Development Toolkit to be designed by partners and delivered to a transnational sample group of 24 social entrepreneurs.5. To hold a final seminar as a major dissemination event at the of the project from which the final design of the new ECCE course will confirmed and the processes of accreditation as a new vocational qualification will be launched.6. Transnational project meetings will be held, including visits to good practice, innovative examples of successful social enterprise. There will be a total of 40 Learners from partner organisations will be taking part in the project and the wider impact will include influencing the lives and employment prospects of many others."