Funded Projects 2014-2020
Project HubMent
| Project Acronym | HubMent |
|---|---|
| Project Title | Smart Mentoring Platform Capability for Regional HUBs |
Summary
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the importance of Digital Hubs took on a new meaning when the world turned to remote working. They became vital in supporting employment & careers in rural and peripheral areas. Now, looking towards the end of the pandemic & reopening of countries, Digital Hubs remain vital as both workers & employers embrace a “hybrid working” reality.
A balance of hub/home and office working that reduces an individual’s commute and carbon footprint but increases footfall in rural locations and more family time is a more appetising reality for many people that positively impacts their local economy. BizMentors International is an online business mentoring initiative that provides community-based peer to peer mentoring support to entrepreneurs and businesses that is structured, free, managed centrally online and transferable across other sectors. It is entirely inclusive, supporting all start up and existing SME’s.
Originally piloted in the agri-food sectors, HubMent would see an extension and scaling of BizMentors Internationals service by building strategic partnerships with regional organisations and hubs to link mentoring and associated capabilities via digital platforms to key communities or groups of SMEs, for example in the areas of the Creative Economy (CREW Galway) and Food Innovation (BIA Innovate) using Digital Hubs both regionally and transnationally as focal points.
In Ireland the “connectedhubs.ie” organisation of 400 hubs will be involved in piloting the concept across the diverse range of SMEs located within them. Transnationally, within the NPA region, we have identified possible strategic partnerships in the areas of, for example, Fisheries and Food Innovation (Iceland). Additionally, the project shall seek to extend the online mentoring model to the Social Enterprise realm, allowing municipalities and development organisations facilitate and accelerate mentoring in this sector. ?
Objectives
To develop a Main project application.
Lead Partner
- Western Development Commission
Ireland
Ian Brannigan
phone 00353 86 6048 012
e-mail: ianbrannigan@wdc.ie
Partners
- MATIS - Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D
Iceland - SCCUL Enterprises CLG
Ireland
Project Info
| Theme Business development, trade, marketing |
| Priority 2 Entrepreneurship |
| Objective 2.1 Improved support systems for SMEs |
| Project duration 01-01-22 to 30-06-22 |
| Total budget 67 053 EUR |
| NPA co-financing 40 574 EUR |
| Target groups business support organisation education/training centre and school General public local public authority regional public authority sectoral agency interest groups including NGOs higher education and research enterprise, including SME |
| Joint Secretariat Desk Officer Christopher Parker |