The DIDe project is led by the UK via Merseyside Expanding Horizons, other partners are from Germany, Greece, Spain, Lithuania, Finland and The Netherlands. Partners in the project cover a range of organisations e.g. public sector, research institutions, private sector consultants, FE colleges, training organisation and the voluntary sector. All partners have been involved previously in transnational projects and six partners have learned and worked together in the past. Each partner will take the lead on a specific area of the work according to experience.
UKMEH is a voluntary sector organisation based in Liverpool and working across Merseyside in NW England. MEH specialises in social inclusion and our aim is to work in partnership with others to develop and run specific projects and initiatives as well as providing a range of support for organisations dealing in inclusion and working with disadvantaged people. MEH is an Industrial and Provident Society with charitable objectives. We run a range of projects :–
- ESF and ERDF projects e.g. Exclusion to Employment and Enterprise and Inclusion – these projects support people who have experienced multiple exclusion, into employment and self employment respectively
- Provision of business development support for social enterprise,
- Accountable body and lead partner for a major social enterprise grant programme run by the VCS
- Accountable body and lead partner for a Parenting Fund project.
- We have Big Lottery funding which supports our website (www.expandinghorizons.co.uk) , newsletter (e-news and glossy) and our programme of seminars and workshops
- We run an ESF Social Risk Capital (SRC) programme providing small grant support for new and developing VCS groups
- We have Big Lottery Funding for a Project Support Worker providing development support for small community groups
- We are involved as a partner in two transnational Grundtvig projects – one working on the development of a diversity course (DIGe_E), the other looking at networking and on the development of a course for networking skills (NetTrain).
As an organisation we have found huge benefit in participating in transnational work and in 2007 are working on plans to develop our transnational work further. We have been asked by partners in the DiGe_E project to act as lead partner in a Leonardo Transfer of Innovation bid and we are looking for opportunities to be partners in other transnational projects.
GERMANY IUK is a limited company without public sponsoring. It is busy in organisational and personnel development (OD / PD), Assessment and Development Centres, Diversity management, consulting, counsellors training, companies training, career development facilitating (CCE/GCDF-certified), sociological research (e.g. teleworking) and intercultural research (Human Resources Management in different European countries). IUK was founded in 1990. IUK´s customers and clients are companies, trade unions, NGOs, individuals, federal ministry (BMBF) and government departments (ministry for economics and labour in North Rhine-Westphalia, communities). Since 12 years IUK is busy in European national and transnational projects, programmes and initiatives (Telematics, Leonardo, Comett, Adapt, Quatro, Objective 2 & Objective 3 programs).
- IUK is certified by the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE), Greensboro / NC (USA) as the only German partner for training and certification of Global Career Development Facilitators (GCDF)
- The institute employs staff from different countries and is cooperating with partners, who guarantee for a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural approach.
SFS
With a workforce of around 80 employees, Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund (SFS), University of Dortmund, is one of the large and traditional institutes of labour related research in Germany. A multidisciplinary staff carries out research, consultancy and evaluation projects dealing with current issues of work and labour: Topics are et al. organisational development, work design and hr policy, network economy, gender policy and women studies, education and vocational training, European labour policy, demographic change and globalisation.
SFS has a long European project record stemming from the mid-eighties with more than 80 projects under a great number of programmes like FORCE, LEONARDO, NOW, HORIZON, ADAPT, EQUAL, RESIDER, 5th / 6th Framework Programme and others in the framework of the Social Dialogue, equally with a considerable number of direct study and consulting projects
The institute also has considerable experience in research and consultancy in the field diversity. Here important topics are gender and diversity, demographic change and ageing work forces, inclusion of young people, migrant workers, and other into the labour market.
SFS is integrated in many networks which can be useful for the development of a diversity pool
.
GREECEVFA is a consultancy firm highly experienced in issues related to labour market inclusion, vocational education and training and equality issues, having implemented numerous projects in these fields at European, national and local level.
VFA is a founding member of EURONNET WORK AND EDUCATION since 1995. Members of the Network are organisations from fourteen Member States highly experienced on vocational training, labour market, equal opportunities and combating social exclusion.
The following indicative list of projects that VFA haw been assigned and successfully completed, proves its experience and competence in the issues related to the present project:-
Member of the DP that implemented the project titled “SYNERGY – Enhancing job opportunities for people suffering from mental diseases”, 2002 – 2004. Participation in the pilot project “AnDe – Ability not Disability in Employment” funded by Leornado, 2003 - 2005. Two external evaluations of the two respective EQUAL projects dealing with the target group, asylum seekers in Greece, 2004 – 2007. Participation in the research project “Social Inclusion by Proactive Design”, 2000 – 2002 (Budget line 2000/B3 – 4105). Project management of “Local Social Capital Development in Crete (Art.6 / ESF), 1999 – 2001.
Regarding all outputs and results of the project we will contribute to its adaptation to the national context taking into account the cultural and the institutional environment, as well as existing needs.
SPAINTHE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE, is a non-profit association created in 1991 by a group of motivated professionals with different academic qualifications (Lawyers, Psychologists, pedagogues, social workers, economists, historians, sociologists, etc) that wanted to go deeper on the called “third sector” of economy to which non-profit associations are related and which can be characterized by the creation of employment with a strong social character (there are no beneficiaries of capital); we have structured our organization as a consultancy offering its services (of orientation, marketing, projects design, search of financial support, growth and/or consolidation planning) to all non-profit associations, foundations, private patronage, NGOs, etc aiming to collaborate in the definition, development and consolidation of social and cultural projects whose initiative belongs to that wide associative structure existing in our municipality as can be shown by the 500 non-profit associations present in Cartagena from different sectors and activities (Social Service, woman, elderly people, sports, youth
LITHUANIASocial Innovation Fund, SIF (LT). The SIF is non-governmental organisation, which was established in 1994 and assists unemployed and economically-disadvantaged women to make positive changes in their life through the provision of educational opportunities, social support, information and advice. The SIF is actively engaged to influencing public policy while implementing the Law of Equal Opportunities for men and women in Lithuania. The SIF is the founder and co-ordinator of the non-formal Coalition of Lithuania NGOs for Advocacy on Women's Human Rights, which unites more than 60 women's NGOs in Lithuania. The Coalition has operated the open discussion forum on the Internet www.women-coalition.webinfo.lt on the issues of women's rights and gender equality in Lithuania. The SIF is also now a main coordinator of the EU Socrates project “Wo-Men- Gender equality Creates Democracy”. SIF is a supporting member of the European Women’s Lobby and a member of few national associations and networks, including Lithuanian Women’s Lobby, Lithuanian Association of Adult Education, Kaunas County Association of NGOs working on Social Issues, the Women's Society. SIF also has experience in co-ordinating European project (Socrates Grundtvig, Phare Lien, Phare Democracy) and participating as a partner in EU Leonardo da Vinci and three Socrates Grundtvig projects. The SIF has also international experience by participating in UNIFEM and UNESCO projects such as “The CEDAW Convention and the Beijing Platform for Action” and "Implementation and monitoring of CEDAW - Convention of the Elimination of all Forms Discrimination against Women". The SIF was involved in writing Alternative (NGOs) reports for two UN convention-CEDAW and CESCR- Convent of the Economical, Social and Cultural Rights
FINLANDSouth Savo Vocational College (ESEDU) is an internationally oriented educational institution located in the province of eastern Finland, in its capital city, Mikkeli. Initial vocational education leads to an initial vocational qualification and it may be provided to both young people and adults. There are altogether approximately 2700 students, of which in adult education 600 students. ESEDU provides also supplementary training, employment training and staff training for enterprises and communities. ESEDU is working in several international and national development projects, ESF-projects on the national level and internationally in Leonardo programme. NETHERLANDSROC Midden Nederland is one of the largest colleges for vocational and adult education in the Netherlands with over 26,000 students and 2200 staff. It is situated in province of Utrecht with its main campuses in Utrecht and Amersfoort. The college offers over 400 vocational courses both full-time and apprenticeship at 4 levels in the following sectors: Engineering, Business and Services, Tourism and Hospitality, IT and Multi media, Health Care and Social Care, Arts and Sports and Leisure. Furthermore is offers general (basic) adult education to over 4000 students. The colleges has extensive international experience through placement of students, staff and international development projects in Europe and the rest of the world.
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The Partnership 
