Make it Grow!

Name and description of the project: MAKE IT GROW! aims to create new connections between young social entrepreneurs (or wannabe social entrepreneurs), youth workers and policy makers. An innovative system made of networks and strategies to enhance the resources represented by the new generations, and extend the impact of their projects on the territories.

Duration, programme, funding (Cerv or Erasmus+) and partnership: This is a three-year project, which started in April 2022 and will last until April 2025, and has received a funding of approximately 200,000 euros from the Erasmus+ - Capacity Building in the field of Youth program (Key Action 2); the Municipality of Cinisello Balsamo is involved as project leader, in partnership with the Municipality of Edremit (Turkiye) and the associations Art Kontakt (Albania), Orhideja Stolac (Bosnia Herzegovina) and Touristic Kluster (Montenegro).

Specific objectives of the project: The specific objectives of Make it Grow! are:

• To strengthen the dialogue between public bodies and social entrepreneurship actors, enhancing the role of youth workers as facilitators of the process.
• To share good practices and innovative models among project partners and their communities, especially in the areas of sustainable tourism, promotion of cultural heritage and artistic/creative industries as resources for local development.
• To develop the capacity of organizations, public bodies, youth workers and youth themselves to engage the citizenry in bottom-up fundraising actions.
• Strengthen the network between organizations and professionals from Erasmus+ program countries, and partner countries.

Project Activities: The following activities will be developed between 2022 and 2025:

• Coordination meetings among partner organizations, hosted in Cinisello Balsamo;
• Two training courses (the first in Cinisello Balsamo, the second online) aimed at improving skills related to social entrepreneurship and community engagement, in which young people, youth workers and policy makers from partner countries will be able to participate;
• Public seminars and study visits in:
   Bosnia-Herzegovina ( organized by Orhideja), focusing on the role of women in social entrepreneurship;
   Albania ( organized by Art Kontakt), on the theme of creative and artistic industries as promoters of local and social development;
   Montenegro ( organized by TKM), during which domestic and rural tourism will be presented as a key element for the economic growth of the most marginalized areas.
• A workshop on fundraising tools (hosted by the Municipality of Edremit and co-managed by the association Meraki - Cultural Desires) during which youth participants, youth workers and administrators will collaborate on launching crowdfunding campaigns; in the following months, the groups will be accompanied in setting up and effectively implementing crowdfunding.

Final products:

• A Policy Paper on how municipalities can support youth entrepreneurship;
• Some Guidelines about how to implement youth entrepreneurship development projects at the local level.