Vowoco Newsletter 2/1/2026
Dear Partner,
the VoWoCo – Volcanoes’ Women Co‑creation Erasmus+ project, which works to promote the success of women entrepreneurs, was launched in October 2025. The partnership, consisting of professional teams from four countries, is actively working on joint professional research, and in the coming months we will produce tangible results and tools for the target groups.
The aim of the Vowoco project is to support the marketability of women-led businesses
Where are we now?
The project kick-off period is over, and we have established a joint work schedule, communication and decision-making processes.
The VoWoCo website has been completed in English, which serves as the main information and knowledge-sharing platform for the project and will soon be available in the national languages of the partners.
Our social media platforms have been launched, where we share news about the project as well as content that is useful for other female entrepreneurs.
In 2025, focus group research was carried out as planned, laying the foundation for the online curriculum and our future work.
Professional preparations for the skills matrix and the underlying situation analysis have begun, with the results to be made public in February-March 2026.
In a press release in December, we presented the launch and objectives of the project to a wider audience.
What is Vowoco about?
VoWoCo is a 28-month Erasmus+ KA220-ADU cooperation partnership (1 October 2025–31 January 2028) that combines research, training, mentoring, and policy recommendations. The project aims to:
- support women returning to the labor market or changing careers,
- give new impetus to women entrepreneurs,
- strengthen the role of women leaders in local economies and communities.
We are achieving this through cross-sectoral cooperation, integrating the knowledge of researchers, higher education institutions, business development actors, and civil society organizations.
The name Volcanoes’ Women Co-creation refers to the fact that the partners are located in volcanic regions.
Partners and roles
The project is led by BENT Balaton Women’s Entrepreneurship Association, which has many years of experience in developing women entrepreneurs in the Balaton region and building the local entrepreneurial community.
The consortium includes universities and professional organizations, such as the Universita degli studi de Macerata in Italy, Pannon University in Hungary, Universidade dos Acores in Portugal, and Dokuz Eylul Universitesi in Turkey, with a focus on gender research, adult education, and business development.
Next steps in 2026
Key tasks for 2026:
- Skills Matrix: mapping the competencies of the target groups and creating a structured skills matrix (February 2026).
- Executive Report: a report containing a situation analysis and recommendations on female entrepreneurs and career changers in the volcanic regions involved in the project (March 2026).
- Development of an online education platform: designing and developing the first version of a multilingual, easily accessible online learning interface, which will be the main “home” of VoWoCo teaching materials from the second semester onwards.
- Planning a mentoring and training program: developing the framework for the VoWoCo mentoring program, which will start in 2027.
The results (reports, tools, training materials) will be continuously uploaded to the project website, where they will be freely available to the professional audience.
How can you get involved in the project?
- Please share the VoWoCo website and this newsletter with your mailing lists and on your platforms so that as many people as possible are aware of this opportunity.
- We will provide ongoing information about opportunities to get involved, such as pilot programs, mentoring, professional workshops, and case studies, so it is worth following us.
Thank you for your cooperation so far and in the future – we are confident that the results of the project will also support your professional work!
Best regards,
Vowoco Project Team
info@vowoco.eu
