A multi-actors partnership has been established with 3 higher education institutions and 3 non university partners. Two of the universities are from the newest Member states (HU and RO) where market economy has been (re-)discovered relatively recently with a booming of enterprises and business managerial experience which now requires stronger support and consolidation processes.
These Hungarian (BBS - Budapest Business School) and Romanian partners have extended research work around topics touching upon SME issues, but they have no or very little experience in how to help SMEs directly with advanced or effective Mentoring. These partners certainly needs support to reinforce and adapt training solutions facilitating the mentoring and support of SMEs in sustainable way. Both are experienced in European projects, their initiation and management as well.
The third university, LAMK (FI), has a rich experience in research and curriculum development in entrepreneurial issues. This university is considered as an innovation resource, but it is also interested in the joint development of new curricula around mentoring issues.
One of the non-university partners is a French multi-entrepreneurs company (ADINVEST International) which operates a network of mentors who work in the field and help SMEs on different kinds of problems. ADINVEST International accepted to share its experience with the partners of the project and also to develop its experience, practical and theoretical, into training materials about mentoring approaches. Therefore, this partner is an important source of innovation for the project. ADINVEST Intl staff members also have a rich experience in different kinds of European projects and, in particular, in quality assurance (QA) and monitoring issues. ADINVEST Intl will take in charge these QA activities on the project.
The remaining two partners are Hungarian and Romanian SME federations/associations having experience in curriculum development for enterprises as well as piloting the new courses and disseminating and exploiting results within their members.
Most of the partners have long standing cooperation with the coordinator Budapest Business School, and others have long established personal contacts on research or educational projects. Most partners have been involved several times in transnational cooperation projects.