The innovative solution COM4LGD proposes as the way forward towards a more sustainable, just, democratic and inclusive future for the EU and addressing the two priorities is the focus on cooperation and community, i.e. citizens organising, acting - and living - together. Community is understood in three ways: a social group whose members share a specific material living context; in the political sense of a group sharing the same governing body; and as a group intentionally bound together by a collective commitment to certain foundational values (in particular, socio-environmental justice). Community building, together with the dynamic process of commoning and the stewardship of common-pool resources (land, water, knowledge, self-organising practices etc.) carry emancipatory potential in reframing the value and social relationships system, while aiming to redress current exploitative tendencies. Due to the diversity of organisational forms established for their just inclusive, participatory governance - embedded in the everyday practice of doing things in common, they hold a potential for radical transformation rooted in the care for communities, life, work, and society as a whole (Angelis, 2017).

Context Current global challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation, and rising unemployment rates highlight the pressing need for sustainable approaches in both lifestyles and productive systems. Ecoprise aims to address this by introducing a new professional role, the Ecoprise Designer, equipped with skills to foster local regenerative development and harmonize human life with nature within enterprises. Through a collaborative effort involving Higher Education Institutions, VET providers, enterprises, and non-profit associations, Ecoprise will develop a comprehensive course on Ecopreneurship, emphasizing future-oriented social entrepreneurship through ecovillage design rooted in sustainability principles. The course will be internationally pilot-tested, ensuring efficacy and transferability, while fostering professional interactions and peer-learning opportunities.   Target Groups Established/aspirant entrepreneurs in the fields of rural/social/cultural entrepreneurship, interested in expanding and varying their offer and in making their business more sustainable. Civil Society Organisations’ representatives wishing to explore the potential of social economy and new ways to provide a multi-faceted, socially valuable offer. Professionals in disciplines relevant to Ecovillage design, e.g., ecologists, designers, artists, interested in supporting future-oriented entrepreneurs in setting up their Ecoprise. VET/HE providers & trainers, who shall support future Ecopreneurs through specialised training.

The project seeks to connect the world of academia (knowledge, research and education) with practitioners/educators in community-led initiatives, in that adult education could benefit greatly from the knowledge gathered and disseminated in academia - and the other way around. It is an example of a cross-sectoral project that explores the potentials of collaboration, adding strength to both sectors.  The priorities selected are ‘improving the availability of high quality learning opportunities for adults’ in that a stronger linkage to the research sector would qualify the adult education sector - if the collaboration would be better organised. Too often, research about ecovillages and community-led initiatives does not reach the people and the projects/ecovillages studied or the people who wish to undertake such projects, through education. Thus creating a crucial information gap. In bridging this gap, adult education will potentially become research based/oriented, which could add positively to the quality and scope of the adult education sector, in a blend of lived experience, research and education. That is the ultimate aim of the project and in this project we explore different pathways to get there. 

EuroREGEN will undertake a comparative analysis of how transnational networks of autonomous initiatives working at the scale of the local community (Community-Led Initiatives or CLIs) in Europe mobilize within and across national borders and engage public institutions in order to promote favourable institutional environments for regenerative development.