SIMPLE

European Projects, News

SIMPLE Pilot in Poland Strengthens Employability and Entrepreneurship among Ukrainian Women

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The Polish pilot of the SIMPLE project – Social Innovation Models to Promote Learning and Employability has been successfully completed, providing tailored support to 50 refugee and migrant women from Ukraine living in Poland. Implemented by project coordinator CTS Customized Training Solutions between December 2025 and May 2026, the pilot tested how an established European social innovation model could be adapted to the Polish context. The pilot was inspired primarily by BSI_4Women, an Interreg Baltic Sea Region initiative supporting the entrepreneurship and economic independence of refugee and migrant women. Rather than reproducing the model mechanically, CTS adopted a “replication with adaptation” approach, retaining its core mechanisms while tailoring the activities to Polish legal, fiscal, institutional and social conditions. Elements of community-building and mutual learning inspired by the SIREE Interreg project were also integrated. Participants entered the programme with different levels of professional experience, Polish-language proficiency and readiness to develop a business. For this reason, two complementary pathways were offered: one focused on the development and pre-incubation of business ideas, and another on the assessment of professional and entrepreneurial potential. The support combined group and individual activities, including workshops on running a business in Poland, business and career counselling, business idea development, e-government training, expert consultations, practical work experience, networking and access to information on available support and funding opportunities. Entrepreneurship was addressed not only as the immediate creation of a company, but also as a pathway towards greater employability, agency and economic independence. The evaluation recorded positive changes across all areas assessed. The participants’ overall average self-assessment increased from 3.0 before the programme to 3.6 after its completion. Particularly strong improvements were observed in: All participants reported being satisfied with the pilot and stated that they would recommend it to others in a similar situation. The introductory business workshops, counselling and digital modules also received very high evaluations, with average ratings close to the maximum score. The pilot confirmed that effective support for refugee and migrant women should be comprehensive, personalised and sustained over time. Training alone is not sufficient to overcome the combined linguistic, institutional, financial, organisational and social barriers they face. Future applications of the model should therefore retain needs assessment, individualised pathways, specialist advice, language and digital support, networking, institutional guidance and follow-up assistance. Through the Polish pilot, SIMPLE has generated practical evidence on how European social innovations can be transferred and adapted to strengthen the skills, autonomy and labour-market participation of Ukrainian women in different local contexts. SIMPLE is co-funded by the European Union under the ESF+ programme and brings together partners from Italy, Poland, Spain, Belgium, Croatia, and Hungary. For more information, visit: https://simpleinnovation.eu Contact: simple@cts.com.pl   Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.

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European Projects, News

SIMPLE launches its online Capacity Building Programme to support organisations working with Ukrainian refugees

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The SIMPLE project has launched its online Capacity Building Programme and self-assessment tools, now freely available through the SIMPLE Digital Toolkit. Developed as a core component of the project’s Capacity Building Strategy, these resources aim to strengthen the capacity of organisations working with migrants and refugees to implement and replicate the SIMPLE model in their local contexts. Although the Capacity Building Strategy is still being finalised, the training programme has been published early to allow its validation during the final phase of the project. Through the final round of dissemination and knowledge exchange activities, project partners will keep on engaging stakeholders from across Europe to test the training materials and self-assessment tools, providing feedback that will contribute to the final version of the Strategy. The training programme translates the knowledge generated throughout the project, including the pilot activities in Italy and Poland and stakeholder consultations, into practical learning resources that organisations can immediately apply. The programme consists of four online modules: Each module is complemented by an interactive self-assessment tool that enables organisations to evaluate their readiness in four key areas: adaptation of the SIMPLE model, stakeholder collaboration, private sector engagement and inclusive service design. Based on their results, users receive tailored recommendations and are directed to the most relevant learning resources. Available free of charge as Open Educational Resources (OER), the training programme and self-assessment tools are designed for organisations interested in adapting and replicating the SIMPLE approach, contributing to the long-term sustainability and transferability of the project’s results. Access the SIMPLE Capacity Building Programme and self-assessment tools at: https://simpleinnovation.eu/toolkit.php?lang=EN SIMPLE is co-funded by the European Union under the ESF+ programme and brings together partners from Italy, Poland, Spain, Belgium, Croatia, and Hungary. For more information, visit: https://simpleinnovation.eu Contact: simple@cts.com.pl   Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.

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European Projects, News

SIMPLE Partners Meet in Warsaw to Advance Piloting and Stakeholder Engagement

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On 31 March 2026, the partners of the SIMPLE project gathered in Warsaw, Poland, for the third Transnational Project Meeting, hosted by Customized Training Solutions (CTS). The meeting represented a key milestone in the project’s implementation, providing an opportunity to review progress across the work packages and gain a deeper understanding of the ongoing pilot activities in Poland and Italy. A central focus of the meeting was the presentation of piloting progress and preliminary results by CTS (Poland) and HOPE Ukraine (Italy), the two partners directly involved in testing the SIMPLE model on the ground. The discussion highlighted how the project’s Theory of Change, developed under WP2, is now being translated into concrete actions, adapted to local contexts. In Poland, CTS is implementing an employment activation model inspired by the BSI_4Women initiative, focusing on supporting Ukrainian refugee women through tailored employability pathways, coaching, and skills development. Initial data shared during the meeting showed that participants are actively engaging in structured activities such as skills assessment, training sessions, and career planning, with many already developing business ideas. Examples of emerging ideas include services in care, education, and small entrepreneurship, demonstrating strong motivation toward economic independence. In Italy, HOPE Ukraine is adapting elements of the SIREE initiative, combining empowerment, entrepreneurship support, and stakeholder engagement to strengthen refugees’ autonomy and integration. Particular emphasis is placed on building local networks, engaging employers and community actors, and fostering inclusive narratives around refugee participation in the labour market. Beyond piloting, the consortium conducted a peer review of WP2 outcomes and advancement of WP3, which is now entering its final phase. Particular attention was given to the identification of stakeholders’ capacities and gaps, which will be essential for designing targeted capacity-building actions and ensuring project sustainability. By combining evidence-based design with real-world testing and continuous stakeholder engagement, the SIMPLE project continues to build a replicable and scalable model for refugee integration, capable of generating long-term impact across different contexts. SIMPLE is co-funded by the European Union under the ESF+ programme and brings together partners from Italy, Poland, Spain, Belgium, Croatia, and Hungary. For more information, visit: https://simpleinnovation.eu Contact: simple.euproject@gmail.com Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.

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European Projects, News

SIMPLE concludes Work Package 2 and sets the stage for the next phase of activities

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The SIMPLE project has concluded Work Package 2 (WP2), laying the foundation for a scalable and transferable model to support the labour market integration and social inclusion of Ukrainian refugees across Europe. As part of WP2, the consortium conducted a comprehensive mapping of over 80 social innovation initiatives across Europe. The selection included projects supported by EU programmes – such as EaSI, Urban Innovative Actions (UIA), Erasmus+, and Interreg – as well as national and regional initiatives from partner countries. This mapping aimed to identify both inspiring practices and systemic challenges in the fields of integration, employment, and inclusion. The complete repository of mapped initiatives is accessible here: https://simpleinnovation.eu/repository.php?lang=EN From this broader repository, the consortium extracted 13 best practices that were particularly well-documented, impactful, and aligned with the SIMPLE project’s objectives. These are analysed in depth in another key project deliverable: The Social Innovation Compendium, available at: https://simpleinnovation.eu/assessment.php?lang=EN Among the 13, three model initiatives were selected as the primary inspiration for the development of SIMPLE’s Theory of Change: The Theory of Change, available on the project website, outlines how the SIMPLE model is expected to generate meaningful and sustainable impact. Drawing on selected elements of the three model initiatives, it proposes an adaptable, modular approach that can be tailored to diverse national and local contexts.  This Theory of Change will serve as the foundation for the stakeholders’ engagement activities to be performed in all partner countries under WP3 and pilot actions to be carried out in Poland and Italy under WP4. In these two countries, partners will: In Poland, the focus will be on employment activation, while in Italy, activities will revolve around empowerment and entrepreneurship pathways. Both pilots will be closely monitored to assess short-term and longer-term changes in participants’ inclusion and integration trajectories. SIMPLE is co-funded by the European Union under the ESF+ programme. The project brings together partners from Italy, Poland, Spain, Belgium, Croatia, and Hungary to co-design, pilot, and promote sustainable models for inclusion, employment, and community empowerment. Stay updated at: https://simpleinnovation.euContact: simple.euproject@gmail.com Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.

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European Projects, News

SIMPLE partners met in Pescara to consolidate the foundation of a new inclusive model

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The partners of the SIMPLE project gathered in Pescara (Italy) on 29 October 2025 for the second Transnational Project Meeting (TPM), hosted by IDP European Consultants, to review and finalise the deliverables developed under Work Package (WP) 2 – Assessment of the existing evidence and building the foundation of a new approach/model. SIMPLE, co-funded by the European Union under the ESF+, aims to design and test innovative approaches to social inclusion and civic participation, building stronger bridges between institutions, communities and citizens to better support the integration and empowerment of Ukrainian refugees. During the meeting, partners discussed the progress made in WP2’s deliverables, focusing on the evaluation of qualitative and quantitative indicators and the fine-tuning of the Theory of Change to ensure readiness for submission to the Agency. The consortium collaboratively validated the main outcomes of WP2, setting a solid foundation for the next project phases. The agenda also included sessions on stakeholder mapping (WP3), pilot planning (WP4), and dissemination (WP5), reinforcing the integrated approach of SIMPLE in linking research, fieldwork and social impact. The meeting concluded with a joint and interactive session on Quality Assurance, followed by a recap of the decisions taken and the planning of upcoming milestones. For more information about the SIMPLE project and upcoming activities, contact the consortium at simple.euproject@gmail.com or visit the website. Stay tuned for further updates. Duneriat Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.

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European Projects, News

Official launch of the SIMPLE project: “Social Innovation Models to Promote Learning and Employability”

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The SIMPLE project has officially launched with the aim of enhancing the social and professional inclusion of Ukrainian refugees across Europe. Co-financed by the European Commission under the ESF+ Social Innovation Initiative, SIMPLE responds to the urgent need for coordinated, innovative actions to support individuals displaced by the war in Ukraine by fostering sustainable employment pathways and social cohesion in host communities. On May 19th, the Kick-Off Meeting of the project took place in Brussels at the premises of the Belgian partner, Institut de Haute Formation aux Politiques Communautaires, gathering all the partner organisations to establish the project roadmap and align on shared objectives. The consortium comprises a diverse network of organisations from across Europe, bringing together expertise in education, training, research, digital innovation, public policy, and refugee support. CTS Customized Training Solutions sp. z o.o. (Poland) – Lead partner; a provider of tailored IT solutions and digital upskilling programs; Institut de Haute Formation aux Politiques Communautaires (IHF asbl) (Belgium) – A training institute and think tank established in Brussels as a no-profit organisation to mainstream European values towards diverse audiences Asociación IT Solutions for All (Spain) – A non-profit offering comprehensive ICT training for learners of all levels; Hope Ukraine Foundation E.T.S. (Italy) – A foundation delivering humanitarian aid and integration services for Ukrainian refugees; Civitas Univeristy (Poland) – A leading Polish university renowned for its social science and international relations programs; Hétfa Research Institute (Hétfa Kutatóintézet KFT) (Hungary) – A think tank focused on public policy, economic, and social research; IDP European Consultants (Italy) – A SME specialised in EU affairs, training, and international project development; Adriatic Ionian Euroregion (AIE) (Croatia) – A European network promoting transnational and interregional cooperation between regions and local authorities of the Adriatic Ionian area. Project Objectives and Activities Over the course of 18 months, SIMPLE will design, pilot, and promote scalable models of social innovation aimed at reducing barriers to employment and social integration for Ukrainian refugees. The project will achieve this by: Evaluating existing evidence and best practices to establish a new approach/model for enhancing Ukrainian refugee employability and integration; Mapping, engaging, and empowering stakeholders from various sectors (public, private, academic and civil society) to support and implement the new social innovation approach for Ukrainian refugees; Implementing and testing the developed model of social innovation in real-world settings to validate its effectiveness and adaptability; Promoting project outcomes, enhancing stakeholder capacities, and ensuring sustainable impact through comprehensive dissemination and stakeholder empowerment activities. The kick-off meeting featured an in-depth overview of the implementation timeline, deliverables, and performance indicators. In particular, partners engaged in a hands-on workshop, aimed at refining the methodology for assessing and transferring social innovation practices. The session also emphasized the importance of inclusive stakeholder engagement throughout all phases of the project. The collaborative spirit and strategic planning evident at the kick-off meeting laid a strong foundation for the effective implementation of the project. The consortium is united by a shared commitment to creating lasting social impact and supporting displaced individuals in rebuilding their lives with dignity and opportunity, while assisting Member States in addressing the ongoing social and integration challenges. For more information about the SIMPLE project and upcoming activities, contact the consortium at simple.euproject@gmail.com. Stay tuned for further updates. Prämie Invexus Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.

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