EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment
Call no. 2017-1b
Lead partner: Hellenic Management Association, Greece
Partners:

• Tecnopolis Science and Technology Park, Italy,
• Regional Agency for entrepreneurship and innovations, Varna, Bulgaria,
• Cluster for Eco-Social Innovation and Development, Croatia,
• IPA CIFATT Craiova, Romania,
• International Development AS, Norway.

Project summary
Many young people that are nowadays classified as NEETs have the necessary education and skills to contribute to the development of their societies, but, according to the European Commission, are often disconnected to the demand side (economy).
The objective of this project is to build a transnational entrepreneurial network that facilitates NEETs primarily in the age group of 25-29 to see needs/opportunities within their own community that can be developed into new businesses and jobs.
Through a comprehensive set of innovative tools, the partners from five Southeastern European countries will use and strengthen existing regional entrepreneurial communities to foster sustainable job creation.

AYEN innovative and exploratory activities are:

• Recruit, include and integrate NEETs into existent entrepreneurial environments
• Assist in the development of individual and team business ideas, based on local needs, opportunities and resources
• Provide to NEETs access to skills and markets through international study visits, local and transnational internships
• Engage experienced entrepreneurs and retired experts in mentoring
• Use and test digital tools in daily operations, networking and as input to product/service development and internal supply/demand
• Establishment of a digital exploratory gamification motivation system and Local Economy system to stimulate oriented local business creation

The objective of the project is to build a transnational entrepreneurial network that enables young people neither in employment nor education (NEETs) primarily in the age group of 25-29 to see opportunities within their own community, enabling them to start their own business.
Through a comprehensive set of innovative tools, the partners from five Southeastern European countries will strengthen existing regional entrepreneurial communities to foster sustainable job creation.
The partnership believes that an effective way to boost job creation and income generation, and directly tackle unemployment, underemployment and lack of training and support, is through promoting entrepreneurship and assisting young people in the creation of their own startup companies.
Through a screening process, the network will target NEETs, that are believed to have the potential to succeed in setting up their own businesses.
The regions involved in the network all experience their set of challenges. The same countries score low on entrepreneurship and startup in general, especially among the youth (OECD, 2014). One reason for these low indexes is that governments have not been able to foster an entrepreneurial community like their counterparts in Northern Europe have done in recent years (GEM, 2015). The fact that each region contributes to its own industry/sector specific-know how gives the transnational network added value, in line with the Europe 2020 strategy (EC).

Project outputs
The main output will be strengthened regional entrepreneurial support communities with integrated support schemes for NEETs with entrepreneurship potential.
The direct target groups are entrepreneurial support communities, experienced mentors, investors and the end beneficiaries are NEET 25-29.
The project will strengthen the NEETs abilities through; use of digital tools to improve entrepreneurs and staff's performance, opportunities for entrepreneurs to acquire knowledge through courses, e-learning platform, coaching and mentoring.
By including them in a transnational entrepreneurial ecosystem, participation in local economy pilot and gamification system, use of innovative and disruptive technology we aim at developing 300 business ideas,  establishing 150 startups and generating 600 new jobs across the five countries where the project is taking place.

NEET Definition
A NEET or neet is a person who is "Not in Education, Employment, or Training". It comprises people aged between 25 and 29 year-olds.
The acronym NEET was first used in the United Kingdom, but its use has spread to other countries and regions, including Europe, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.

Benefits for the new start-ups

• Training and mentoring under internationals concept
• Assist in the development of individual and team business ideas
• Access to a digital exploratory gamification motivation system
• Access to skills and markets through international study visits, local and transnational internships
• Internationalization of business

B2B meetings with partners from abroad