<< Background >>SMEs have been the lifeblood of the European economy, accounting for more than two-thirds of the workforce and more than half of the economic value added (Eurostat). Yet the results of a recent McKinsey survey, conducted in August, 2020, of more than 2,200 SMEs in five European countries—France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom—indicate just how hard their prosperity has been hit by the COVID-19 crisis and more than half of those surveyed worry they might not be in business in 12 months. However, already before COVID pandemic, every year in the EU 200 000 firms go bankrupt, resulting in over 1.7 million people losing their jobs (EU Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers). Thus encouragement of continuing entrepreneurship, even after failure which is not due to dishonesty, is seen as essential to the health of Members States’ economies and the efficient functioning of the internal market. Moreover, despite previous business failure, many failed and ex-entrepreneurs would like to create a new business, but they face numerous obstacles in doing so. Many entrepreneurs feel discouraged to re-start due to the stigma of failure and/or difficulties or discrimination faced after a bankruptcy. In addition, “failure” has an important secondary effect on entrepreneurship: many “would-be entrepreneurs” do not start a company because of their fear of the consequences of business failure. Consequently, it produces negative effects on economic growth and employment creation in the European economy.EU Internal Market and SMEs supporting entrepreneurship already contains some references to second chance policies. However, until now this concept is almost completely absent from VET provision. Indeed, many times VET providers offer uniform services to both failed and ex-entrepreneurs and first time entrepreneurs while different situations should require a different approach.<< Objectives >>Consequently, the main aim of “Give them a second chance (G2C)” is to support the development of second-chance entrepreneurship attitude and initiative and provide a path for entrepreneurs whose first businesses have failed or been not successful to re-enter the market. G2C specific objectives:• Encourage failed and ex-entrepreneurs to learn from their past experience by providing them with the right tools for understanding reasons behind their failure, their entrepreneurial potential and attitude. The Online self-assessment tool (project result 2 (PR2)), that is an online interactive tool, will help them to identify their strengths and weaknesses, with potential of improvement for the purpose of continuous learning.• Support failed and ex-entrepreneurs in developing their competences for re-build a successful business. This will be achieved through the use of innovative digital education contents and digital technologies, partners will create an online course in the forms of e-learning modules (PR3) accessible through an Online Platform (PR1), which will provide failed and ex-entrepreneurs the competence to prevent from crisis and to re-start their business activity.• Provide VET teachers, educators, trainers and mentors with a full set of educational resources for helping and assisting failed and ex-entrepreneurs. • Promote and support the creation of SMEs support policies by policy makers, for facilitating the return of failed and ex-entrepreneurs back to business. This will be achieved through the realization of the Guide - How to keep entrepreneurs healthy and alive (PR5).<< Implementation >>In G2C will be performed the following activities:-Dissemination & communication activities:•The setting up of project website which will contain track of all project activities and PRs.•Setup of project social media channels and online dissemination activities, logo and graphical identity;•Blogs and project newsletter;•Local dissemination events and workshops (A6) etc.•Online awareness raising campaign (A7)-Four project transnational meetings will take place. -Five Project PRs: •Online Platform (PR1). An online platform will be set up, using open source software, in order to create an online space as connection for project target groups and for containing the Online self-assessment tool (PR2) and e-learning modules (PR3). The PR1 will ensure the visibility and promotion of G2C e-learning modules for empowering failed and ex-entrepreneurs and diffusion of the PRs, during and after project life-cycle.•The Online self-assessment tool (PR2) will help failed and ex-entrepreneurs identify their strengths and weaknesses, with potential of improvement for the purpose of continuous learning. Through the self-assessment quiz and spider diagram, failed and ex-entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to understand and self-reflect on the reasons behind their downfall, learning from their past experiences, and educate themselves towards a more successful future. The PR2 will assist the entrepreneurs to define which characteristics are needed by an entrepreneur to succeed.•E-learning modules(PR3). The PR3 will be an online course which will help entrepreneurs to acquire relevant knowledge to prevent from crisis and to re-start their business activity in case they failed in the past. The PR3 will include video materials, reading materials, assessment through quizzes and assignments at the end of each module. The PR3 will be accessible through the online platform (PR1) and users (entrepreneurs) before starting the e-learning will have to take the Online self-assessment tool (PR2).•The Manual to be a mentor for second chance entrepreneurship (PR4) will be a comprehensive tool targeted at professionals working on VET centers, chamber of commerce, vocational schools and NGOs willing to become mentors for failed and ex-entrepreneurs. The PR4 will aim to provide the necessary knowledge and skills to mentors to deal with failed and ex-entrepreneurs (mentees) and effectively help them to return successfully to economic activity, avoiding the past mistakes which brought entrepreneur to failure. Before the official release, the PR4 will go through a pilot testing that will take form of a staff training event (C2).•The Guide - How to keep entrepreneurs healthy and alive (PR5) will target policymakers at local, regional, national and European level. The PR5 will focus on informing policymakers about failed and ex-entrepreneurs as a possible target group for SMEs support policies, proposing possible mechanisms, which can be used to prevent entrepreneurs from failing, help to smooth bankruptcy procedures, and facilitating the return of failed entrepreneurs back to business.-Two mobility activities (C1, C2). Following:• Blended mobility for VET learners (C1). (BM, C1) (month 13)• Staff training event (TE, C2) (month 22)-Twelve multiplier events. The G2C partnership will organize twelve local conferences in all partner countries. Each local conference has the aim to reach the higher number of stakeholders, foster the use of PRs and raise the impact of the project.<< Results >>IMPACTS ON PARTICIPANTS / TARGET GROUPSFailed and ex-entrepreneurs will:-have an attitudinal changes and improved risk management skills, preventing some aspects of entrepreneurial failure and be able to deal correctly with it, overcome stigmatization and ability to relaunch their business.-count a structured way to understand the reasons of their failure and what to improve through the online self-assessment tool and spider diagram (PR2) as well as to develop the necessary skills to come back to business or avoid failure through the e-learning modules (PR3).-Become accustomed to the ongoing need to update their entrepreneurial skills.-Share their knowledge and skills with their peers through positive action.VET trainers, educators, teachers and mentors will:-Count on a full set of educational resources for helping and assisting failed and ex-entrepreneurs. -Deepened self-awareness and enhanced motivation to continue VET learning process for entrepreneurs-New acquired capacity to strength initiatives to promote second time entrepreneurship, facilitate a safe space for dialogue in order to bring the voices of failed and ex-entrepreneurs to policy makers on a local, national and European level.IMPACT ON PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS-Counting on tools and knowledge to assist entrepreneurs when failure or business closure occurs.-The project results will be integrated into the management and/or pedagogical/curricular framework and practice of project partners, which deliver their activities to thousands of people every year.-Partners will be able to develop innovative learning pathway and educational programmes to focus on the development of VET programmes for failed or ex-entrepreneurs, by implementing plans to support their return to business activity.-Gain a renewed visibility at local and national level as a point of reference for SMEs and entrepreneurs.-In the frame of the project they will explore the potential of advocacy to attain important VET sector objectives.-A new capacity to create a cross-sectorial cooperation among different organizations working in VET such as NGOs, SMEs and chamber of commerce, actors which have a strict correlation with their territories, which through a synergic work can help SMEs and entrepreneurs, combining their different resources at their disposal.