The PeerEx project continues to facilitate the exchange of best practices among European Social Enterprise Support Organisations (SESOs). The partnership between FUND2740 and Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEIS) enabled these organisations to collaborate and share knowledge on the internationalisation of impact-driven organisations.
WISH – World Impact Sales Hub: The Focus of the Exchange
Under the umbrella of PeerEx, this particular exchange was titled WISH – World Impact Sales Hub. Both organisations aligned their efforts toward a common goal: to share insights and strategies for the international expansion of social enterprises, and to develop support tools that assist impact-driven ventures in navigating international markets.
The goal of the WISH exchange was to gather and document best practices, while also developing new frameworks to support enterprises seeking to expand their reach across borders.
Activities Overview: Progress Made by Fund2740 and CEIS
- Initial Development of Ideas and Presentations: Early in the project, both partners collaborated on the concept of WISH, creating an introductory presentation to outline the main ideas and objectives of the initiative. This presentation is available for the public to review (view presentation here).
- Drafting Collaboration Documents: The project involved drafting a memorandum, outlining the terms of cooperation between the partners. This document aims to formalize their relationship and set a clear roadmap for further collaboration.
- Exploring New International Partnerships: Fund2740 and CEIS identified potential partners in Serbia, Germany, the Netherlands, and the USA. These countries are being considered for future collaborations as the project expands its reach and scope.
- Brainstorming the Development of an AI Tool: A major innovation within this project was the exploration of an AI tool designed to help social enterprises with internationalisation. The tool aims to provide a structured framework, offering automated support for businesses looking to expand globally. This tool will be integrated into a larger AI-focused project called AI for IE (AI for Impact Enterprises), which will provide additional support for impact ventures (AI for IE info here).
Future Activities and Next Steps
Despite the progress made, a number of crucial steps are still ahead. The following activities are planned for the coming months:
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- Finalising the Memorandum: The formal memorandum will soon be signed, solidifying the partnership between Fund2740, CEIS, and any future collaborators.
- Development of the AI Tool: The next step is to continue building the content and database for the AI tool, ensuring that it is both practical and effective for social enterprises aiming to internationalize.
- Pilot Case Testing: 1 or 2 pilot cases will be selected to test the AI tool in real-world scenarios. This testing phase will help identify areas of improvement before rolling out the tool on a larger scale.
- Drafting Terms and Conditions: As the AI tool is developed, the partners will also prepare terms and conditions for potential clients, including pricing strategies and service agreements.
- Accepting new WISH partners: We started to scale initiative based on the interest of partners from other countries. We expect to scale to France and Serbia already in 2024 and then continue to grow also in 2025. Let us know if you are interested in joining the initiative and what you can offer in your country to foreign social economy ventures wanting to internationalise their activities.
Conclusion
The PeerEx initiative, highlights the power of international collaboration in the social enterprise sector. Through the WISH exchange, the development of an AI tool for internationalisation, and future plans for expansion, this partnership represents a step forward in creating meaningful global impact.
The ongoing collaboration between the partners—supported by Euclid Network—will continue to drive innovation and success for social enterprises seeking to scale internationally. Keep following PeerEx and its participants as they lead the way in empowering impact-driven ventures worldwide.
