CREASSE – FOSTERING RURAL AND INCLUSIVE SOCIAL AND SOLIDARITY ECONOMY – Partners Albania for Change and Development

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CREASSE – FOSTERING RURAL AND INCLUSIVE SOCIAL AND SOLIDARITY ECONOMY

28/Jan/25

Partners Albania, together with a network of esteemed European partners, has commenced the implementation of the new project CREASSE – Fostering Rural and Inclusive Social and Solidarity Economy (2024-2026), an Erasmus+ project co-funded by the European Union.

CREASSE aims to increase the socio-labor participation of adults at risk of exclusion due to socio-economic difficulties, by fostering their creativity and participation through inclusive training and education in order to develop Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) activities as a transformational force that can drive systemic and positive change in rural areas.

General Objective of the Project

Encourage the development of collective initiatives and SSE actions as an opportunity to promote the socioeconomic inclusion of people at risk of social exclusion and rural communities.

Specific Objectives of the Project

To raise awareness of the advantages and benefits of the SSE in order to foster social investment, support SSE actors and social enterprises to start-up, scale-up, innovate and create jobs in rural areas.
To actively involve the SSE ecosystem to boost the dynamism and development of communities at local, regional and European level.
To equip guidance adult learning professionals with tools and competencies for effective follow-up during the process of collective entrepreneurship from a collaborative and inclusive approach.
To empower people at risk of social exclusion for the development of collective initiatives that promote their employability linked to the effective management of collaborative enterprises.

The Concrete Results related to these objectives will be:

10 Focus Groups
1 European Exchange of Sucess Stories in Social and Solidarity Economy
10 Success Stories shared
1 Alliances Mapping of the Social and Solidarity Economy Ecosystem
1 Toolkit for Capacity Building in Social and Solidarity Economy
1 Practical Handbook for Social Facilitators to Guide Collective Entrepreneurship.
5 Training of Trainers for Social Facilitators
5 Pilot Learning Experiences

PROJECT ONGOING ACTIVITIES

Kick off Meeting And 1^st Transnational Project Meeting in Badajoz, Extremadura (Spain)
In February, Partners Albania joined the CREASSE project kick-off meeting in Badajoz, Spain, where the project and its upcoming activities were presented and discussed. A highlight was the visit to Villartesana de Alburquerque, a social enterprise by two amazing women Conchi and Ana Luz, turning unemployment into opportunity by producing traditional sweets while empowering their rural community.

CREASSE Focus Groups
In March, Partners Albania held two two Focus Group Cafés, bringing together key stakeholders from Albania’s Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) sector, including social enterprises, NGOs, support organizations, community members, entrepreneurs, and institutions. The discussions explored challenges and opportunities for SSE growth, especially in rural areas, and offered insights on innovation, scaling social enterprises, and job creation.

Similar sessions took place in all project partner countries Italy, Spain, Hungary, and Cyprus, with findings contributing to the preparation of cross-border Alliances Mapping of the SSE Ecosystem.

EU Online Event: “Voices that Inspire – What Led You to Become an Entrepreneur?”
On June 18, 2025, as part of CREASSE project was organized the Europe-wide online event “Voices That Inspire – What Led You to Become an Entrepreneur?”, featuring 10 speakers sharing their journeys in purpose-driven entrepreneurship, and bringing together aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs, changemakers, and key SSE actors. Albanian founders Sentiljana Marku (Danja’s Raspberries) and Rakip Belishaku (Rinora Handmade) shared their journeys in sustainable agriculture and eco-innovation, alongside entrepreneurs from Cyprus, Hungary, Italy, and Spain. The event fostered discussions on innovation, resilience, and offered practical takeaways and networking across the SSE ecosystem. Watch the session here and let yourself be inspired

2^nd Transnational Project Meeting in Matera
On 24-25 June, Partners Albania joined project partners in Matera, Italy, for the latest Transnational Partners Meeting. Highlights included two new tools: the upcoming “Handbook for Social Entrepreneurs” and “Guide for Social Facilitators”, and a visit to Birrificio Matarè, social economy initiative by MEST Cooperative, a craft brewery that produces artisan beer from locally grown grains while empowering migrants through training & employment and reviving local production.