Facilitating supportive spaces for migrant entrepreneurs


“Facilitating supportive spaces for migrant entrepreneurs” is a multi-themed project involving 100 participants from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The project is a collaboration of Crossing Borders (DK), Association for Cultural Relations (FI), Creatorium (NO) and Mobilizing Expertise (SE) and co-financed by Nordplus Adult 2020 programme between July 2020 and June 2021.


Project summary: This is 1-year collaboration between Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. It is a development and multi-themed project falling within integration of migrants and refugees, entrepreneurship and promoting democratic participation and active citizenship. Crossing Borders sees migration as a resource rather than a burden. Migrants risk being marginalized and excluded in their new country and to minimize this we previously developed the ‘Online Course for Migrant Entrepreneurs on a European level’. The project took departure in implementing innovative strategies encouraging migrants’ integration in the labour market in their host community. We experienced that participants demand more face-to-face interaction both with other participants and entrepreneurial experts. We want to meet this new learner need so we can accommodate the wish from migrants to become an active and productive resource in the labour market. Crossing Borders want to facilitate the link and transaction between education and the labour market. As we have a broad collaboration with experts, partners and companies within entrepreneurship and migration, we have a unique opportunity to facilitate interaction between migrants and the partners we collaborate with. With activities such as ‘storytelling’ dinners and mentor days we are able to help our target group, migrant entrepreneurs, receive face-to-face interactive learning. Migrants with an interest in entrepreneurship will have the opportunity to interact with experts as well as strengthen their network. Among some results, we want to achieve increased democratic participation by migrants, promote active and sustainable citizenship for migrants, as well as changing the understanding of migrants to become more positive.