7. Applying the Social Starts Up Methodology
The mentor led training programme was implemented and completed in the 3 project sites of Verteneglio in Croatia, Strasbourg in France, and Perugia in Italy. Whilst the social start ups training programme was delivered consistently and in accordance with the Mentor Guide and the Toolkit, the speed with which the programme progressed in the three locations, differed, and the types of social enterprises envisioned in each location was also different. This could be due to the demographics of the mentees, the context in which the programme was being implemented, the needs and priorities of the EPGs, and the existing awareness of the social enterprise model, as well as the existing legal framework governing this.
However, this extant diversity across the three locations where the Social Start Ups project was being implemented, did not impact upon the delivery of the programme negatively. Rather, it provided solid testing grounds for the design rigour of the programme.
In essence, the focus of the social start up in Verteneglio ‟ s EPG was on local produce, but this erupted into a disagreement about organic vs non-organic produce. Although the Social Start Up methodology was welcomed, an agreement could not be reached regarding the inclusion of both organic and non-organic local products, and the group split into organic and non-organic producers. Given the significance of this issue for this Croatian region, we are pleased that the project was able to bring it to the forefront, with the Municipality of Verteneglio leading the way in addressing this challenge. The trainee demographic here
In Strasbourg, the Social Start Ups methodology was employed through AMSED, and mentees here had too many potential social enterprise ideas to limit to the creation of one social enterprise only. Whilst the mentoring sessions were buzzing with discussions, there was a preference to having multiple social enterprise start ups, led by individuals or small groups, rather than an overall group effort. This outcome does not contravene the ethos of the Social Start Ups project as all start ups were rallying around the social enterprise model. It is anticipated that as these micro social start ups become established, they can merge together or collaborate, to enhance community development. Given the participant dynamics here, the social start up project progressed systematically and regularly.
In Perugia, the participants worked together to create an EPG in the first instance, and then to create a social enterprise to enhance the EPG ‟ s sustainability. Given the extant brainstorming and ideation at the beginning of the social start up process, the completion of the Social Start Up Project here took longer than Verteneglio or Strasbourg. However, this is expected as the group was beginning the journey completely from scratch and needed the time to determine the social enterprise ‟ s aims, activities, business model, implementation etc. Although this was the slowest process amongst the three locations, it fulfilled the aims of the Social Start project fully, and will most likely be sustainable in the longer term. This social start up was focused on community development and Perugia ‟ s urban regeneration through the following activities:
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