RESPONSE (Crisis Resilience for Social Entrepreneurs, registered under Erasmus+ as RESIST) is a 24-month adult education partnership bringing together organisations from Ireland, Germany, Spain and Ukraine. The project is developing a Competence Framework and modular curriculum, a toolbox of more than 20 practical tools, educator packages, a digital Crisis Resilience Assessment Application and an Interactive Knowledge Hub with a Peer Learning Network. Feltech leads the project’s communication and dissemination and the development of the Knowledge Hub.
Social enterprises deliver essential services, jobs and social innovation, yet they are highly vulnerable to crisis. Limited financial reserves, short-term funding and informal risk strategies leave many exposed when economic downturns, pandemics, climate events or geopolitical conflict strike. Existing entrepreneurship education focuses on growth and management but rarely on crisis preparedness. Through a train-the-trainer approach, RESPONSE equips the adult educators and support professionals who already work alongside social entrepreneurs, multiplying its impact across Europe.
This initiative aligns with the Adult Education priorities of improving the competences of educators and other adult learning staff, and creating learning opportunities for all citizens and generations. It also supports the European education response to the war in Ukraine, with partner Building Ukraine Together ensuring that resources are tailored to social enterprises operating under war conditions. All resources will be open access and available in English, Spanish, German and Ukrainian.
There are four primary objectives for the RESPONSE project:
- Develop a research-based Competence Framework and curriculum defining the skills social entrepreneurs need to build crisis resilience.
- Equip adult educators with modular training resources, a practical toolbox and train-the-trainer educator packages.
- Launch a digital Crisis Resilience Assessment Application that gives social entrepreneurs personalised feedback and tailored learning pathways.
- Support Ukrainian social enterprises and build a cross-border community of practice through the Interactive Knowledge Hub and Peer Learning Network.
