Project overview
Futurepreneurs and SMEs for a sustainable Central Europe | Certification Scheme
Futurepreneurs are professionals that are driven by purpose and impact. They take on societal challenges and climate change with an entrepreneurial mindset and want to improve our lives. The GREENPACT project set up partnerships between companies and futurepreneurs. The aim was to develop a certification scheme for a new generation of impact-driven top executives. To this end, the project developed joint action plans, pilot actions and a self-assessment tool.
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1,78m €
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Project Budget
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80%
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of the Budget is funded by ERDF
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5
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Countries
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6
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Regions
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9
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Partners
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1
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Pilots
Duration
Start date
End date
Project progress
Project partnership
Project partners
Lead partner
Stuttgart Media University
Startup Center
Project partner
Creative industries
International Area
Human Capital, Culture and EU Programming Area
Department of entrepreneurship
Department of Corporate Strategy
Faculty of Business management
Roadmap
THE CHALLENGE
The Culture and Creative Industries (CCI) and Tourism sector are often struggling with a lack of knowledge and resources about how to adopt greener, circular, and sustainable practices and how to be perceived as such. At the same time it was obvious that established businesses can benefit from the passion and fresh ideas of younger generations. GREENPACT’s primary aim was to bridge this generational gap and to foster stronger connections between entrepreneurs and the younger generation, often called "Gen F".
THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM
While international and European certification programs exist, they often fall short in addressing the unique needs and challenges of the CCI and Tourism sector, many times leaving businesses unsure how to truly embrace green, circular, and sustainable practices. GREENPACT recognized the need to dive deeper: understanding the knowledge gaps between young people and companies when it came to sustainable and circular economies. On top of that, it was clear that better communication and learning tools were essential to foster stronger collaboration among all partners involved.
THE MAIN IDEA
What if representatives of a younger age are included to co-develop those certification schemes with players from the CCI and Tourism sector? What if GREENPACT manages to integrate Gen F in the development of a solution in the different partner regions, to enable co-creation and close collaboration with SMEs? What if young people and business meet and work together, profiting from their different perspectives and ideas?
THE SOLUTION
The creation of an EU certification scheme for the CCI and Tourism sector! GREENPACT had the idea to come up with a platform for open exchange on circular economy for CCI & Tourism sector, tools for application and a self-assessment tool. Of course there was no point in “re-inventing the wheel” but rather make use of existing solutions and examples of other companies and stakeholders. The project consortium was asked to do some research in the respective countries and regions on which certificates, initiatives and projects already existed to get a picture of what is already out there and then develop a solution suitable for everybody.
HOW IT WORKED – 1
After the initial research phase the first step was to identify SMEs from the CCI and Tourism sector in need of change and with concrete challenges, as well as Gen F representatives aka young people who wanted to collaborate and inspire those SMEs. GREENPACT supported the creation of ideas at regional Collaboration Labs where mixed teams jointly worked on challenges and possible solutions. The insights gathered here were included in the development of the training programs which followed.
HOW IT WORKED – 2
The next step was to connect and train representatives of SMEs and Gen F in all partner regions through intensive boosting buddy training programs. These programs lasted over the course of several weeks, took place online and in person, and included external experts to give insights into various aspects of sustainability and circular economy, with a focus on the CCI and tourism industry. The participating SMEs came up with challenges on sustainability from their enterprises and daily routines in order for the young participants to discuss and develop solutions.
HOW IT WORKED – 3
The third and final step for the project consortium was to collaboratively develop a self-assessment tool that supports SMEs getting certified as green actors. A “sustainability toolbox” for SMEs from the CCI and Tourism sector was set up to assist in the certification and the long-term realisation of the determined factors. GREENPACT wanted to ensure that the key solutions will be applied by the SMEs also after the project lifetime.
PROOF / CREDIBILITY
During the project’s lifetime, the Europe-wide certification scheme and self-assessment tool was already helping many SMEs from the five partner countries becoming and acting more green, circular and sustainable during the project and ideally even more afterwards.
LONG-LASTING VISION / IMPACT
The long-term mission of this project was and still is to make the EU economy more sustainable and independent and empower citizens and enterprises with essential skills to improve the quality of life in Europe. The certification scheme and toolbox were developed with the thought in mind that everything should be easy to understand and applied, and also easily transferable to other industries than the CCI and Tourism, being used as a blueprint.
BRAND
GREENPACT and “GREENPACT YOUR IMPACT” have established the certification scheme and toolbox as a brand which stands for a sustainable and conscious European economic environment. All achievements, tools, results and outcomes have been collected and published in our final project booklet.
News
Events
Pilot actions
Outputs
The GREENPACT Map
GREENPACT Transnational Action Plan
Transnationally co-created GREENPACT collaboration labs and buddy boosting training programs
Jointly developed, evaluated and elaborated pilot action bottom-up approaches for SMEs from the CCI and tourism industry
Handy GREENPACT: Impactful and green toolbox for SMEs from CCI and tourism
GREENPACT certification scheme
Project documents
Final Booklet
GREENPACT
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