Social Start Ups: the project
Social Start Ups is a project funded by EU, under the Erasmus + KA2 Programme, leaded by the Italian NGO Tamat, that will be developed together with University of Plymouth( UK), Parco Tecnologico 3-A( Italy), Municipality of Verteneglio( Croatia), Amsed( France) and University of East Anglia( UK).
The goal of the project is to develop, test and validate a learning methodology for adult learners by experimenting the Ethical Purchasing Groups( GAS) as real laboratories for the acquisition of key competences. Social Start Ups’ methodology follows a " learning by doing " approach, which includes the direct involvement of adults / participants in the Ethical Purchasing Groups start-up and management’ s activities.
The project also aims to define, through a participatory approach, a sustainable model of E. P. G. that meets producers’ and, at the same time, consumers’ needs. The partners, Parco Tecnologico 3-A, University of Plymouth and University of East Anglia, will contribute to the definition of this model and to ensure adequate technical support to the experimenting phase that will be conducted by Tamat, Amsed and the Municipality of Verteneglio respectively in Italy, France and Croatia.
The identification of this model will be achieved through a series of meetings, discussions and analysis of the current contexts. The first phase of the project concerns a mapping activity of EPGs and small local producers and a qualitative survey aimed to analyse the current state, the mechanisms, strengths and weaknesses points that characterize this type of system. In order to achieve this goal, Tamat, Amsed and Municipality of Verteneglio will organize a series of focus groups including members of the GAS, local producers, people interested in taking part in the experimentation phase, members of other associations interested to the topics covered by the project Social Start Ups. These activities will contribute to the creation of an interactive map, shared through the project’ s website, and a network of EU EPGs and small producers.
After this " preparatory " stage Tamat, Amsed Verteneglio and will start the experimentation directly involving participants in the activities of start-up and management of EPGs. This phase will begin in December 2015 and will last about one year.
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