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Interactive and mentorship based FEMale emPOWERment in the field of entrepreneurship

Funder: European CommissionProject code: 2018-1-HU01-KA203-047766
Funded under: ERASMUS+ | Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices | Strategic Partnerships for higher education Funder Contribution: 412,962 EUR

Interactive and mentorship based FEMale emPOWERment in the field of entrepreneurship

Description

iFEMPOWER aimed to empower female students to get engaged in entrepreneurship by reinforcing their skills and mindset needed for self-employment. The project addressed the lack of entreprenerial motivation and attitude among HEI students and the gender gap in entrepreneurship. Female entrepr.s face several challenges, i.e. the lack of equal access to capital and training, access to business networks, and the need of reconciling business/family. The lack of a supportive environment and financial background, and the specific sociocultural attitudes towards women entrepreneurs negatively affect the entrepreneurial spirit too. As a consequence, students often do not receive competitive knowledge valuable in the labour market. Creative and innovative learning environments are also missing.The project was implemented to achieve the following objectives:1) empowering potential female entrepreneurs among HEI students from any field to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills (both soft and hard) to launch their enterprises,2) developing innovative tools, educational & training methods for the empowerment of female entrepreneurs in HEIs,3) promoting entrep. mindset, making entrep. attractive for youth and raising awareness on the importance of improving conditions of female entrep. by building a strong network among HEI and business.iFEMPOWER gathered important organizations from the knowledge triangle to build a bridge between the academic and business sector. The partnership consisted of 4 HEIs: Bifröst University (IS), Corvinus University of Budapest (HU), Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania (RO) and Sigmund Freud University (AT), 3 business actors: ONECO Consulting (ES), Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (PT), Steinbeis GmbH (DE), 1 business support organization: Andalucía Emprende Foundation (ES) and the Coordinator, HÉTFA (HU), a private research institute. During its 3 years, iFEMPOWER implemented interlinked activities. First, exploratory research was carried out on female entrepreneurs and SMEs in Europe; the findings were summarized in a Research Report (IO1). Second, an International Module consisting of a Curriculum (IO2) and Teaching Material (IO3) was developed and tested at HEIs and accomplished by students from several fields. The courses were backed by a Mentorship Programme (IO4) to provide background knowledge on the usual hindrances of being a female entrepreneur and potential solutions. Students with the best business ideas had the opportunity to participate in 2 intensive study programmes (IO5), where their ideas were further developed and presented to investors and mentors. In addition, each PP set up Entrepreneurship Support Points (IO6) to provide personal counselling for anyone interested in women entrepreneurship. An Online Toolkit (IO7) was developed to provide specific suggestions to visitors’ problems. The toolkit is available in 7 languages on the project’s website ifempower.eu. Lastly, iFEMPOWER monitored and assessed all activities and prepared a Final Study (IO8), highlighting the transferable practices and formulated policy recommendations. 2 LTTs (training activities) for university teachers in ES and PT, 2 multiplier events in ES and PT and 3 online multiplier events ensured that outcomes were channelled into the relevant stakeholders. All activities and outputs are publicly available at www.ifempower.eu, as well as on the EPALE and WEgate platforms. Thanks to the project more than 250 students got familiarized with entrepreneurship and acquired high-level, transversal and case solving skills enabling them to launch their businesses, while min. 8 students have actually started their enterprises, thanks to the project. HEIs established intensive cooperation with partners from the business sector during the development of an international curriculum and teaching material that includes non-formal education, interactive work, mentorship, hence bringing academia closer to answering the needs of the labour market. 20 university teachers were involved in teaching and other project activities, out of them 13 teachers were trained to teach the iFEMPOWER module by raising their skills too. More than entrepreneurs were involved in the mentorship and made contact with students by establishing long-term cooperation with them. 22 university students worked with mentors and started to build up the necessary network for their businesses. The online toolkit and the support points have addressed at least 160 students by giving counselling. In the long run, HEI partners will keep teaching the iFEMPOWER modules and organizing summer schools sustaining the project’s achievements and contributing to raising the number of female entrepreneurs in the future as well. Findings summarized in policy recommendations channelled to stakeholders will improve the business and educational environment for female entrep.s and policy changes in HEI, entrepreneurship, business support fields.

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