Regional Incubator for Social Enterpreneurs – RISE 2 image

Regional Incubator for Social Enterpreneurs – RISE 2

Date

2022 - 2025

Donor

French Development Agency (AFD), the E+ (European Commisson) and the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO).

Partners

Consortium: Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), GROUPE SOS Pulse, South East European Youth Network (SEEYN), the Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ); Local Incubators: ARNO (N. Macedonia), Balkan Green Foundation (Kosovo), Nesto vise (B&H), Smart Kolektiv (Serbia), IEC Tehnopolis (Montenegro) and Yunus Social Business (Albania)

Keywords

social entrepreneurship, youth, social economy, incubators, reconciliation, intercultural learning, regional cooperation, alumni community

RISE II is a continuation of the “WB6 Lab project”/ RISE I (2019) aiming to open new spaces for reconciliation for youth from Western Balkans through social entrepreneurship. The project empowers young people to become actors of change within their community(ies) by developing solutions with social and environmental impact. As a vibrant community of young social innovators and leaders in the region, RISE creates positive changes, nurtures good values, and does good in the communities. RISE also strengthens the capacities of six local incubators, by building their knowledge, skills and recognition in their respective ecosystems and the WB region. Through regional activities, the project also contributes to promoting social entrepreneurship in the WB as a tool for economic inclusion, peacebuilding and strengthening social ties within and between countries.
Objectives :

  • Contribute to the development of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Western Balkans through local incubators in each of the Western Balkan countries
  • Improve access to social entrepreneurship for youth in the Western Balkans region by offering them regional ideation and incubation program and grants to start their own social entreprises 
  • Increase awareness about social entrepreneurship in the Western Balkans region and senzitize the general public, young people and policy-makers to social economy
  • Improve regional cooperation and intercultural exchange among youth in the Western Balkan region and contribute to the reconciliation and peacebuilding process
  • Facilitate the exchange of know-how and experience and strengthen the collaboration in the field of social entrepreneurship between key actors on European Union and Western Balkans level

Highlights of the project: Ideation and incubation program; regional mobility; grants for establishing social enterprises; intercultural exchange and knowledge; mentoring; regional bootcamps; alumni awards; alumni community; study trips; know-how and experience exchange; regional policy forums; policy recommendations; regional cooperation

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