Entrepreneurs offered the chance to go Dutch on mentoring scheme

MIDLAND entrepreneurs are being given the chance to jet to Holland to hone their business ideas as part of a £102,000 business mentoring and skills development programme.

Housing organisation, the Accord Group has teamed up with Impact Hub Amsterdam to offer the unique opportunity to 25 young people aged 18-25 from Birmingham and the Black Country.

The 13-week business mentoring programme will see the young entrepreneurs, 10 of who will be Accord Group customers, matched with a Dutch entrepreneur.

They will then develop their business idea into a viable start up, improve their understanding of customer interaction and financial management of a new business, and even learn to speak Dutch.  

Funded by The Lifelong Learning Programme, the programme is part of the Accord Group’s AddVentures initiative which aims to help unemployed people back into work or support them to start their own businesses.

Since it launched in April 2012, it has worked with over 400 people to develop employability skills, gain experience of work and hone ideas, with 35 people supported to start their own ventures.  

Alix Drysdale, Enterprise Officer for the Accord Group, said: “We are delighted to work with Impact Hub to offer this unique and fantastic opportunity to young entrepreneurs.

“Not only will they get hands-on business experience, but they’ll also be supported to develop their own ideas and be inspired by mentors who will share their knowledge and expertise.”

Tessa van Mechelen, Match Maker at Impact Hub Amsterdam, added: “We are excited to submerge young enterprising souls into a learning environment, an inspiring space with a community open to collaboration and provide them meaningful content.

“After joining this programme, the participants will be geared with tools to take their own business idea further and at the same time have new experience and skills to be more attractive in the job market.”

To be considered for the programme, applicants must be aged 18-25, be able to commit to seven weeks of preparation and 13 weeks of business mentoring in Holland and be available to travel between January 2014 – May 2015.

The closing date for the first group of eight young entrepreneurs to register their interest is today (December 9).

Further details are available by calling Alix Drysdale on 0121 358 9019 or email mailto:alixd@accordgroup.org.uk

The Accord Group is a housing and social care provider which supports people in its communities looking to launch their own business.  It also provides one-to-one employment coaching via its jobs and skills services.

Impact Hub is part of Hubs Worldwide and specialises in giving young people the opportunity to start-up business ventures across the world.