Workshops & Ideathons

1. Workshops — for already active entrepreneurs

Purpose:
Workshops are designed for existing or already active entrepreneurs who want to integrate welfare-oriented strategies into their business models. These sessions help them understand how their business can generate social value, reduce inequalities, and support community welfare, in line with the project’s objectives.

Role in the project:
Workshops function as the first stage in creating the Business Welfare Strategy (BWS).
Participants:

• Entrepreneurs already running a business

• Local SMEs

• Immigrant-led businesses

• Social innovators

• Community-based entrepreneurs

What happens in the workshops:

• Entrepreneurs analyse their current business model.

• They identify gaps or opportunities to add social inclusion, digital inclusion, training, community services, etc.

• They co-create a draft Business Welfare Strategy, which aligns business goals with community welfare goals (e.g., supporting vulnerable groups, offering additional services, improving inclusion, etc.).

• They work with trainers, experts and local welfare actors to shape this strategy.

Outcome of the workshops:
👉 A first version of the Business Welfare Strategy for each participating business.
This draft will later be tested, challenged, and improved during the ideathons.

2. Ideathons — for aspiring entrepreneurs & mixed groups

What is an ideathon?
An ideathon is a creative, fast-paced, problem-solving event, similar to a hackathon but focused on ideas, concepts and community solutions rather than coding. It’s a structured brainstorming marathon where participants work in small groups to respond to a challenge.

Purpose in the project:
Ideathons serve as the second stage of the process. They bring together:

• Aspiring entrepreneurs (people who have not yet created a business)

• Workshop entrepreneurs (who bring their draft BWS)

• Local welfare actors

• Community members

• Trainers & facilitators
  
  

The goal is to collectively refine, stress-test and enrich the Business Welfare Strategies developed in the workshops.

Role in the project:

• Ideathons act as a round-table co-creation environment.

• Aspiring entrepreneurs contribute new ideas and perspectives.

• Existing entrepreneurs receive feedback and discover opportunities they hadn’t considered.

• Community stakeholders validate whether the proposed social/welfare actions truly meet local needs.

• Everyone collaborates to shape feasible, sustainable, community-driven welfare innovations.

Outcome of the ideathons:
👉 Each entrepreneur returns home with a finalized Business Welfare Strategy, improved through collective intelligence and ready for implementation.
👉 Aspiring entrepreneurs gain inspiration and may generate new business ideas grounded in real community needs.

3. How workshops & ideathons complement each other

Workshops

Development of welfare-oriented business strategies

Already active entrepreneurs

Draft Business Welfare Strategy (BWS)

Ideathons

Improvement, validation, co-creation, new ideas

Aspiring entrepreneurs + workshop participants

Final Business Welfare Strategy + new ideas for aspiring entrepreneurs