Das Upcycling-Business

<< Background >>The project partners applied for funding in order to jointly develop and implement innovative approaches for working with disadvantaged young people. Another key objective was to create an international knowledge and practice base that could be scaled up in the long term through intercultural exchange and familiarisation with the working methods of all participants. The project aimed to establish a sustainable partnership between the organisations from Germany and Portugal that has the potential to apply innovative concepts in working with young people using innovative approaches such as the combination of environmental issues, personal development and entrepreneurship at European level in the long term. The funding offered the partners the opportunity to exchange practical methods and adapt them for international use. This not only helps to strengthen cooperation at EU level, but also addresses the need for Europe-wide strategies that offer young people prospects in socially important areas. The test run of the various approaches created starting points for future projects.<< Objectives >>The project partners set themselves the goal of exchanging and adapting existing methodological approaches and jointly designing a workshop that encourages young people to discover and develop their own strengths and imparts important skills for environmental issues and entrepreneurial thinking in order to use precisely these strengths for their future lives. The aim was to combine international working methods and record them in a guide in order to develop a concept that is transferable and adaptable and could be used in other EU countries. The long-term vision is for this exchange to serve as a basis for further international projects and collaborations for all participating organisations. The application of the methods and joint implementation should create innovative approaches to support disadvantaged young people and a stable basis for scaling up the project at EU level.<< Implementation >>In the first part of the project, the partners tested each other's working methods and analysed their applicability in their respective contexts. Due to logistical constraints, the partners in Portugal primarily carried out a theoretical evaluation. A handbook was produced for each working method, summarising the method in a practical format for the other partners or the testing partner. In the second phase, the partners in Germany and Portugal jointly organised a workshop for young people, which they developed together. The workshop was tested and evaluated in a structured format. The business ideas developed in the workshops were presented at the partner Movimento Transformers' annual festival. A communication strategy was developed and regular project meetings were held to optimise project progress and collaboration. Furthermore, tools such as Trello and a RACI matrix were used to clearly assign tasks and facilitate project management. The project ended with a final impact report and a one-pager with ideas for a possible continuation of the project.<< Results >>The most important project results included the successful development and realisation of a practice-oriented workshop concept and the creation of a handbook. A total of 32 young people (24 required by the application) took part, developing their own business ideas during the workshop and presenting them in pitch presentations. These ideas show great potential and reflect the long-term goals of the project to teach young people future-orientated skills.The project also led to a solid exchange between the partner organisations on methods and approaches. By establishing joint communication and management structures and developing a standardised workshop guide, the first steps towards long-term cooperation at EU level were taken. The results of the workshop and the approaches developed provide the basis for potential scaling to other European countries.