The project team believes that supporting migrant entrepreneurs in Europe is an effective means of improving their social and economic integration; providing them with equal opportunities to become economically self-sufficient in their host countries and therefore to create a more secure life for themselves and their families. Migrant entrepreneurs can also provide services and products to migrant communities across Europe which originate in their home countries; adding to the diversity of the European market, and providing a sense of familiarity to migrants who are far from home.

Through the use of an online catalogue of best practices collected from across Europe, ReEntry will upskill and improve information provision to guidance and VET professionals who work directly with migrants and refugees as career advisors and coaches.

In consultation with these professionals across Europe, the project team will;

• undertake a state-of-the-art research process to identify current supports for migrants and refugees;

• identify and promote best practice in supporting migrants into entrepreneurship;

• pilot an online interactive forum for networking and exchange of good practice between professionals and migrants.

Overall, these actions will help to address the current information gap for migrants who would like to start their own business in their host country.

The ReEntry project commenced in September 2016 and will operate until February 2018.

ReEntry is funded by the Irish National Agency, Léargas through the Erasmus+ Programme

The project partners understand that becoming an entrepreneur is always considered a challenge, particularly so in the case of a migrant or refugee. Above all, what these budding entrepreneurs need is accurate and relevant information, opportunities for quality networking (with both other migrants and members of their host community, mentoring, training, and finally also investment and funding. By providing access to this information, including advice on training opportunities and funding initiatives for migrant entrepreneurs, and by integrating an online networking element to the project website, the main aim of the ReEntry project is to provide an overview of best practices, initiatives and programmes which specifically aim to support and facilitate migrant entrepreneurship in Europe.

The main target groups addresses by the ReEntry project are:

• Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Adult Education organisations and professionals working to support the socio-economic integration of migrants.

• Career guidance counsellors and job coaches working directly with migrants to improve their access to employment.

ReEntry project partners are working with these target groups to undertake relevant State of the Art research and to use the findings from this research to identify and promote quality best practices in supporting migrants into entrepreneurship from across Europe.

As well these target groups, the project team will also work with a range of stakeholders in their countries including migrant research organisations and networks, social partners and business support agencies. The end-users of the ReEntry project’s results are migrants and refugees with an interest in becoming self-employed.

1. Undertake a State of the Art research process to ascertain the current socio-economic profile of migrants in each partner country; to identify national policies for migrant entrepreneurship and to profile some national programmes and initiatives aimed at improving migrant employability and self-employment.

2. Summarise the findings of research activities to create a “Catalogue for Migrant Entrepreneurs” which will be presented on the e-platform.

3. Develop and promote an e-platform with access to information on best practices, initiatives and learning materials that have been identified and collected by project partners and which have been proven to be applicable to supporting migrant entrepreneurship. These examples will be made available with translations in each partner language.

4. Develop and promote an online interactive forum for networking, exchange of information, experiences and good practices between project target groups, stakeholders and end-users.

The ReEntry project is promoted by a project team of six organisations from across Europe with vast experience of collaborating in EU funded projects, and in working directly with the project target group. These organisations come from Ireland, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Portugal – six European countries each with differing experiences of receiving and integrating migrants.

As project coordinator, Meath Partnership has endeavoured to bring together partners from countries at different stages of development relevant to the project target groups. This diversity within the partnership facilitates the exchange of best practices and learning from others which is an important added value. The consortium has all the skills necessary to support the successful development, implementation and dissemination of this project.

The project team are as follows:

Ireland: Meath Partnership (Coordinator)

Austria: E-C-C Verein fuer interdisziplinaere Bildung und Beratung

Slovenia: INTEGRA INSTITUT

Slovakia: QUALED

Czech Republic: KTP – Spolecnost pro kvalifikaci na trhu prace

Portugal: ISCAP – Instituto Politecnico do Porto