“Towards Collaborative Practice” (TCP) Study Visit on Social Entrepreneurship and Social Inclusion

Please note:

This project was planned for 2020 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation the activity had to be postponed. Applicants who submitted their application forms earlier will be considered and their availability will be confirmed via e-mail. 

Join us, reflect, network & learn about professional practices and ways in which social entrepreneurship and youth work can be developed and apply these experiences to your reality. This study visit is a unique opportunity to discover more about being a social entrepreneur in Hungary and how youth work plays a role in it. 

The study visit is organized in the framework of the “Towards Collaborative Practice” (TCP) project that explores the potential of youth work, Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps to foster social entrepreneurship and social innovation among young people. The TCP Project consists of forums and study visits, and so far 5 Forums and 2 Study Visits have been organized.  This one will be the third one, following on from the ones in Bristol UK (2016) and Jerusalem Israel (2018). 

Budapest hosts a unique and vibrant community of social entrepreneurs working for the betterment of society and the environment. This event will provide the opportunity to a group of professionals and young people to discover the social business sector in Budapest and Hungary through direct contacts and exchanges with several social enterprises. It will be funded through the NET budget line of the European Solidarity Corps. It will be a combination of field visits with sessions focused on networking and knowledge/practice sharing. The project will explore the social and environmental impact of social ventures, with a special focus on the social inclusion of underrepresented and vulnerable groups. The event will also tackle the connection between social entrepreneurship and the European Solidarity Corps, as well as volunteering and its importance for social inclusion and employability. 

This activity will focus on environmental consciousness in social entrepreneurship. The whole event is influenced by its theme, environmental awareness - including site selection, menu compilation, coffee breaks and the materials we use. We believe it is important to show that there is always an opportunity to select an environmentally friendly option.

This study visit will:

• explore, through several field visits, how social enterprises can become established as promoters of innovation and growth for society;
• facilitate partnerships, creating a network of social entrepreneurs;
• share practices and realities among the diverse social and youth entrepreneurs from Europe, neighboring Partner Regions, and Hungary;
• and mapping the impact of COVID19 pandemia in the sustainability of social entrepreneurship.

If you are willing to join and passionate about the topics of the study visit i.e. social entrepreneurship, social innovation, and social inclusion, we kindly invite you to express your interest to join this event. 

Youth@Work Strategic Partnership on youth employability and entrepreneurship of Erasmus+ National Agencies. The TCP Study Visit is part of the Youth@Work Partnership, alongside other projects tackling youth employability and entrepreneurship, organized by the 16 member Erasmus+ National Agencies and SALTO-YOUTH Resource Centres. You can learn more about Youth@Work at www.youthatworkpartnership.org and @YouthatWorkPartnership (Facebook).

We are looking for 25 participants, young people, and professionals, who are:

- Part of or working for an NGO/social enterprise with a social inclusion focus and would like to expand their understanding of similar initiatives in different national and international contexts;
- Have experience in working with the European Solidarity Corps program and would like to get further knowledge and practical experiences in this area, plus explore additional possibilities for social inclusion elements within the program;
- Just started or planning to develop a project in the European Solidarity Corps program and interested in learning about NGOs doing European Solidarity Corps projects in the area of social inclusion and social business;
- Run or plan to start a social business with social inclusion priorities and want to get new ideas and inspiration for future development and international networking.