Ruralia Institute in Finland is currently working on a project,  which aims to create social enterprise learning materials, guidance and networking. Visenet – Village social enterprise learning material, guidance and networking  aims to (amongst others) enhance the ideas and methods to promote and support social entrepreneurship in rural areas by creating an open access digital learning material and opportunities for rural communities and people to foster the knowledge and awareness of the social enterprises. The project ends in June 2021.

Open access learning material

The project outcomes will include Open access learning material, International Network of Rural Social Enterprises and Practical Guidebook of Good Practices for supporting the development of social entrepreneurship (SE) in rural areas. Results of the project will be shared through disseminating outputs in the open access format. All products and materials will be available and accessible online to all who are interested in social entrepreneurship and community development.

The learning material is created in cooperation between strategic partnership of consortium based on the common consistency of good practices and experiences; and is divided to three thematic learning modules based on the practical needs of rural actors aiming to support the development of the rural social enterprises.

The learning modules 

The learning modules will be:

1) Community Activation and Participation Methods in Rural Areas

2) Partnerships and Networking of Social Entrepreneurs

3) Social Enterprise Solutions for Sustaining Rural Communities and Measuring Social Impact.

Each module is based on good practices and experiences identified by consortium and will be tested in national pilot groups.

Visenet has a closed Facebook group. The group supports the networking and interaction of rural representatives of the ViSEnet-project. The purpose of this “ViSEnet Community” is to enhance the exchange of information, best practices and knowledge between project partners and as such to support social enterprises in rural areas.

Project partners:

University of Helsinki Ruralia Institute (coordinator), Finland
The Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE), Romania
Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMU), Estonia
Nürtingen-Geislingen University (NGU), Germany
Inspiralba, Scotland

More information:

Visenet Project 

Project Newsletter – June 2019

Helsinki University Research Portal