The transnational project has come to an end: a permanent open-source platform, a network of over 140 organisations, strategic agreements and educational tools ensure the continuity and growth of the social economy beyond the lifespan of the European funding.
Matera / Badajoz / Nicosia / Tirana / Székesfehérvár, October 2026 – The CREASSE project has come to a successful conclusion. This strategic transnational initiative, co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme, brought together organisations from five countries (Spain, Italy, Hungary, Cyprus and Albania) to tackle depopulation and social and labour market exclusion in rural and peripheral communities across Europe.
Whilst in its initial phase CREASSE introduced a training and methodological model based on the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE), the conclusion of its activities marks the start of its most ambitious phase: transforming learning in the field into a systemic, lasting and scalable legacy. The entire body of knowledge, operational tools, institutional partnerships and pilot schemes remains active and freely accessible, offering a structural response to the development needs of inland areas.
Sustainability rooted in local communities: Exploitation and Institutional Partnerships
The ‘Exploitation & Sustainability’ plan, coordinated by the partnership, has anchored the project’s results within a solid network of transnational cooperation, structured around four strategic pillars:
- Cooperation Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs): the partners have signed formal Letters of Intent and Memoranda of Understanding with local development associations, youth organisations and local authorities (including Beyond Barriers in Albania, Volontari Open Culture 2019 in Italy, Mezőföld Local Community Association in Hungary and Vernian RTI Ltd in Cyprus), committed to ensuring the continuity of the CREASSE methodologies and to supporting new generations of social entrepreneurs.
- Stakeholder Adoption: the project’s tools have already been incorporated into ongoing training programmes, incubators and specialisation courses, such as the Micro-Master promoted by the Fundación Santa María la Real in Spain, or the educational programmes aimed at people with disabilities and young people at risk of exclusion, run by partner social enterprises and third sector organisations in Italy and Albania.
- Strategic Roundtables and Institutional Dialogue: the consortium has organised strategic meetings with regional authorities, development agencies, universities and European networks (such as the the New European Bauhaus initiative and Erasmus+ roundtables), laying the foundations for incorporating the CREASSE framework into local public policies on cohesion, adult education and rural employment.
- Community Awareness-Raising and Mobilisation: through local social economy fairs, Living Labs, university workshops and digital campaigns that have reached tens of thousands of citizens, CREASSE has raised awareness of the democratic, inclusive and non-exploitative role of social enterprise.
A tangible impact: figures, skills and new businesses
The capacity-building phase exceeded all project expectations, demonstrating the effectiveness of the ‘Learning Stations’ educational model:
- Over 570 attendees in total and more than 210 unique participants took part in the 39 national thematic workshops;
- 47 collaborative business ideas were conceived, structured and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda;
- 97 specialist mentoring sessions provided personalised support on sustainable business models (Sustainable Creative Business Canvas), the legal and tax framework, and eco-design;
- 123 participants obtained official micro-credentials and European certifications for the skills they acquired;
- Local pitching events and Multiplier Events brought together over 300 citizens, social innovators, local investors and expert juries, recognising the projects with the greatest impact on the revitalisation of rural communities.
The ‘www.creasse.eu’ platform: a resource hub that is always open and free
As evidence of the project’s genuine sustainability, the institutional portal www.creasse.eu will remain fully operational over time as an open archive and a hub for transnational collaboration:
- The Social Economy Alliance Map: an interactive platform connecting over 140 organisations, co-operatives and support networks mapped across Spain, Italy, Hungary, Cyprus and Albania, open to new members to foster exchanges, commercial partnerships and transnational synergies.
- Open Access Toolkit and Official Publications: with nearly 10,000 downloads already recorded, they remain freely available for download in five languages (English, Italian, Spanish, Albanian and Greek):
- the CREASSE Handbook, a conceptual and pedagogical reference guide on the social economy as a driver of inclusion and rural resilience;
- the CREASSE Toolbox, a practical toolkit packed with practical guides, group activities and facilitation strategies for trainers, guidance counsellors and adult educators;
- the National Reports on the Social Economy, up-to-date guides to the legal frameworks, bureaucratic barriers and funding sources in each country.
A coalition that looks to the future
The CREASSE project was coordinated by the Spanish humanitarian organisation Acción contra el Hambre, in partnership with Materahub (Italy), CTRIA (Hungary), SYNTHESIS Centre for Research and Education (Cyprus) and Partners Albania for Change and Development (Albania).
Although the formal funding cycle is drawing to a close, the transnational community created by the project remains committed to demonstrating that Europe’s inland and rural areas are home to extraordinary human resources, capable of generating economic value, cohesion and hope through the solidarity economy.
To join the network and download all the open-access materials:
Official website: www.creasse.eu
Information and contact details for national partners: www.creasse.eu/contacts/
