<< Background >>Culture and the arts have been traditionally recognized, promoted and preserved in relation to their very intrinsic value, i.e., their status as a symbolic creation at the heart of humanity and resulting from the expression of its creativity. However, in the last decades a complementary and interrelated approach increasingly has recognized their instrumental value, in particular their contribution to social and economic development of territories. The role of culture in urban development has attracted the attention of scholars since the eighties, approaching it from the creative industries which highlights the role of firms as the generators of innovation and territorial development, or from the ‘creative class’ perspective, focusing on creative people responding to location factors in their urban environment. Consequently, culture has increasingly been used, especially in cities, to achieve particular social and economic goals. Entrepreneurs engagement, as well as access to training and digitalization, will remain a challenge for various groups (elderly, people with disabilities, young people, minorities, people from rural areas and geographical peripheries, people of limited financial means etc.). This, to some extent, will be determined by demographic changes, lack of political support and decreasing public funding. This may lead to excluding certain society groups from participation in entrepreneurial activities and receiving business support.The allure of craft and artisanship harks back to tradition and a very different past – but today’s world too places value in the high-level creativity and skills involved. Craft is a worthy connector to heritage but is also an essential part of the subsistence economy and capable, with encouragement, of becoming a valuable and thriving economic sector. The sector had been “hit dramatically” by COVID-19, raising not only the possibility of job loss but also a loss of identity. While crafts had “so much potential” to link into sectors like tourism, it was important “to connect the dots”.The interplay between technology and traditional crafts is critical, as two should not be pitted against one another. Technology is for the modern artisan a tool like any other, something that they can use to augment their skills. Similarly, in this digital world, institutions and programmes need to support artisans online by putting them on the map and building awareness.The project is planned to be developed on the background of the increasing digitalization in all areas of life and the lack of specifically connected with the artisans and craft workers training in the fields of digital entrepreneurship and business creativity thinking. The development known as Industry 4.0 in Europe requires new business and digital qualifications for skilled crafters, craft workers, artisans, trainers and apprentices as well as vocational schoolteachers. Currently, there are large differences within and between different sectors as well as between different countries and regions in terms of adapting to the requirements designated as digitalization and digital uptake of the business in the project. The project aims to analyze and better understand the expected needs and to develop exemplary learning modules for future and current professionals and their teachers and trainers in order to respond to the development at an early stage.<< Objectives >>The current project aims at developing innovative digital training solutions to enhance the effectiveness and competitiveness of crafters’ and artisants microenterprises, especially in the context of participation to national and EU markets. This will be achieved by developing relevant training solutions and material to strengthen the capacity of existing microenterprises and craft-type of enterprises to strive in the current economic environment. At the same time, the project is devoted to all those individuals who wish to establish their own creativity micro and craft-type enterprise as a response to the crisis or unemployment.The project main objectives are: •An analysis of which competence requirements are necessary for crafters in order to establish or support their businesses•Developing entrepreneurial and digital skills of people holding or wanting to create a microenterprise. •The development of exemplary learning modules for trainees, which give an initial access to the future digital business envorobnment and which can be implemented with relatively little resources and are suitable for all participating countries. •Building on this, the development of learning modules for teaching staff in order to sensitize them to the challenges of digitalization and enable them to teach in a project-oriented and forward-looking manner and to guide their students in their learning.•Support transnational policy co-operation leading to policy development in the crafts sector•Foster capacity building through innovative approaches through the development of skills and business models for craft professionals and representative organisations in Europe•Enabling people to gain new skills which will enrich their professional life and open new channels in the labour market•Creation of a digital platform for cooperation among micro businesses and entrepreneurs from rural areas•Favoring the start-up of new enterprises in post COVID-19 era•Delivery of digital tools for acceleration in business<< Implementation >>The project entitled “Promoting creativity microbusiness though web tools in rural area” was planned and created as an answer to the rate of creativity microbusinesses in rural areas in the EU and aims to enhance the effectiveness and competitiveness of microenterprises, especially in the context of participation to national and EU market. This will be achieved by the specific objectives that are:•Developing entrepreneurial and digital skills of people holding or wanting to create a microenterprise. •Formation of virtual training curriculum for enhancement of creativity micro businesses•Creation of a digital platform for cooperation among micro businesses and entrepreneurs from rural areas•Favoring the start-up of new enterprises in post COVID-19 era•Delivery of digital tools for acceleration in businessThe project aims to equip them with the necessary innovative skills and competences to upgrade the efficiency of their work. This will be achieved by the implementation of the following specific activities:-Competence Matrix for Digital entrepreneurship and business creative thinking for crafters in rural area: Proceeding and identifying specific capacity gaps of microenterprises and craft-types of enterprises in post COVID-19 era in order to create an entrepreneurial learning of crafters, collaboration with stakeholders and research with 140 stakeholders,20 experts and 105 crafters. -The Transformative Business Model for creativity micro businesses: . Testing and validating main training modules and content with at least 140micro/craft enterprises though the established virtual training curriculum for enhancement of creativity micro businesses through 10 MOOC classes organization and local trainings with several days duration.-Design of innovative multilingual online tool: designing an innovative multilingual online tool in order to support the cooperation among micro businesses and entrepreneurs from rural areas and enhance their participation in training using digital classes. It will target 70 crafters as part of the matchmaking and 140 participants from the partners’ countries in the MOOC.-Individual online acceleration procedure for entrepreneurs: implementing individual online acceleration procedure for entrepreneurs using digital tools for communication, providing them services for supporting tailored business plan creation and mentoring and targeting on 35 entrepreneurs, providing them services for supporting tailor business plan creation and mentoring.•(C1) Training of entrepreneurs in Transformative Business Model for creativity micro businesses: Training of entrepreneurs in practical tools for boosting of their businesses in post COVID era with 5 days duration in Bulgaria. •(C2) Training of experts in ‘MicroHUB’ approach: Training of experts in individual acceleration and mentoring with 5 days duration in Sweden.<< Results >>During the implementation of the project will be developed the following project results that target the reduction of unemployment in the European Union:-(PR1) Competence Matrix for Digital entrepreneurship and business creative thinking for crafters in rural area: which will be based on process of identification of competencies and skills gaps in entrepreneurial learning of crafters, collaboration with stakeholders and research. It will target 140 stakeholders,20 experts and 105 crafters. -(PR2) The Transformative Business Model for creativity micro businesses aims to design and develop an innovative curriculum for digital vocational education in digital entrepreneurship and business creativity thinking for crafters from the partners countries.-(PR3) Design of innovative multilingual online tool: designing an innovative multilingual online tool in order to support the cooperation among micro businesses and entrepreneurs from rural areas and enhance their participation in training using digital classes. It will target 70 crafters as part of the matchmaking and 140 participants from the partners’ countries in the MOOC.-(PR4) Individual online acceleration procedure for entrepreneurs: implementing individual online acceleration procedure for entrepreneurs using digital tools for communication, providing them services for supporting tailored business plan creation and mentoring. We will target 5 entrepreneurs per country (35 in total) in 700 hours and will be coordinated by 2 trainers per country (14 in total). This way, entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to communicate their ideas and receive advice from experts, that will boost their business growth.-(C1) Training of entrepreneurs in Transformative Business Model for creativity micro businesses with 21 participants 5-days duration in Bulgaria -(C2) Training of experts in ‘MicroHUB’ approach with 14 participants, 5-days duration in SwedenThe project also includes a research element, which will be conducted across several countries in Europe. Detailed analysis and research into the economic value of the craft sector within Europe has not yet been undertaken. This leads to a knowledge, value and awareness gap both within the sector itself and at local, regional, national and European level. MICROHUB will undertake research into the economic value of the craft sector, in order to disseminate a clear and cohesive understanding of the impact and value of European craft.Various findings will also be generated by the project partners during the project execution to support:(1)Process of elaboration of the project results/ pilot testing in every project country; templates, guidelines and reports summarizing the activities and giving recommendations for the project results.(2)Promotion and dissemination activities/ promotion and dissemination plan, project website, leaflet and brochure, newsletter, and Facebook page; a final conference, promotion and dissemination reports of the project partners/after every 12 months(3)Exploitation of the project results/exploitation strategy at the partnership level at national level(4)Evaluation and quality control of the project activities and results/ quality and evaluation plan, quality reports/ after every 12th month/evaluation reports(5)Management and financial plan, progress reports, interim report and final report