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Our Project

The SIMPLE Project (Social Innovation Models to Promote Learning and Employability) aims to identify and scale up best practices in social innovation to enhance the employability and integration of Ukrainian refugees, focusing on educational interventions and vocational training. We strive to empower vulnerable groups, particularly women and older adults, by providing targeted support to enhance their skills and employability. A key component is to promote stakeholder engagement through the quadruple helix model, ensuring active collaboration between academia, industry, government, and civil society.

Discover Our Approach

Our Approach & Training

Project SIMPLE employs a holistic and innovative methodology designed to enhance the employability and integration of Ukrainian refugees, particularly vulnerable groups such as women and older adults. This approach leverages social innovation, education, and the quadruple helix model to achieve its objectives.

Integrated Training Programs

We develop and implement tailored vocational education and training programs focusing on enhancing the skills and employability of Ukrainian refugees. This includes continuous mentoring and coaching.

User-Centered Design

Actively involves Ukrainian refugees and key stakeholders (private sector, public sector, academia, civil society) in co-designing and implementing project activities through workshops and focus groups.

Evidence-Based Approach

Utilizes comprehensive data collection and analysis to identify needs, challenges, and best practices, building on proven successes from previous EU-funded projects.

Collaborative Networks

Establishes strong partnerships with local, national, and international organizations, facilitating resource sharing and knowledge expertise to maximize impact.

Our Community & Impact

Fostering Systemic Change

At SIMPLE, we believe that true integration requires more than isolated efforts – it demands systemic change. By connecting innovation, collaboration and practical solutions, we work to create lasting impact that strengthens communities and opens new opportunities for Ukrainian refugees across Europe.

Meet Our Partners
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Press Releases

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2026-08-24
AIE strengthens the SIMPLE stakeholder ecosystem and announces the Final Conference in Dubrovnik

The Adriatic Ionian Euroregion (AIE) continues its stakeholder engagement activities within the SIMPLE project – Social Innovation Models to Promote Learning and Employability, co-funded by the European Union under the ESF+ Social Innovation+ Initiative. As part of its role in stakeholder engagement and ecosystem building, AIE organised an online Stakeholder Engagement Meeting on 29 June 2026, bringing together organisations and professionals active in social inclusion, employability, local development and European cooperation. The meeting created a valuable bridge between SIMPLE and the network developed through the GEAR-UP! project. Among the participants were representatives of organisations supported within GEAR-UP!: Ylenia Kaso, Project Coordinator of YPN – Young Professionals Network (Albania), and Mladen Frckovski, Associate and Labour Market and Employment Policy Expert representing SIGA – Association for Sustainable and Inclusive Development (North Macedonia). The meeting also involved Francesco Niro (Fondazione Molise Cultura), Angela Zeffiro (AAST), Marilena D’Avesa (Municipality of Pietracatella), Maria Luisa Esposito (Eurelations GEIE) and Sabrina Varriano (HOSPITIS Social Enterprise), together with AIE representatives. During the meeting, AIE presented the SIMPLE approach and opened a discussion on the challenges and opportunities surrounding the labour-market and social integration of migrants and refugees, with particular attention to Ukrainian refugee women and other vulnerable groups. The exchange focused on the role of stakeholders in enabling pathways to employment, providing training and job opportunities, building trust and strengthening local ecosystems. The discussion also highlighted a number of recurring barriers to effective integration, including complex administrative procedures, limited access to transport and support services, language and communication gaps, digital exclusion, economic insecurity and the need to strengthen trust in institutions and support systems. These exchanges contribute to SIMPLE’s wider objective of building collaborative local ecosystems and supporting the transfer and replication of effective social innovation practices. Save the date: SIMPLE Final Conference in Dubrovnik – 22 October 2026 The stakeholder engagement process will continue in the coming months and will culminate in the SIMPLE Final Conference, which will take place in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on 22 October 2026 at Akademis. The event will bring together project partners, public authorities, civil society organisations, businesses, universities, research institutions and other stakeholders interested in social innovation, employability and inclusion. The Final Conference will provide an opportunity to present and discuss the main results achieved by SIMPLE, exchange experiences and lessons learned, and explore how the approaches and tools developed by the project can be transferred and used in different local and European contexts. It will also offer a space for networking and dialogue among organisations working to improve integration pathways and employment opportunities for migrants and refugees. AIE invites its members, partners and stakeholders to save the date and follow the project communication channels for further information on the programme and participation arrangements. Additional organisational details will be shared as the event approaches. SIMPLE brings together partners from Italy, Poland, Spain, Belgium, Croatia and Hungary and works to identify, test and promote social innovation models that can strengthen employability, skills, autonomy and social inclusion, with a particular focus on Ukrainian refugees. The project combines evidence and mapping, stakeholder engagement, pilot actions, capacity building and dissemination to support the transferability and sustainability of successful approaches. 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 about SIMPLE, visit: https://simpleinnovation.eu/ Adriatic Ionian Euroregion – SIMPLE project page: https://www.adriaticionianeuroregion.eu/projects/simple/   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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2026-08-10
SIMPLE Pilot in Poland Strengthens Employability and Entrepreneurship among Ukrainian Women

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: knowledge of entrepreneurship and available support; use of Polish in professional and business contexts; confidence and ability to act independently; interaction with public institutions; identification of the next steps required to develop professional or business plans. 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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2026-08-10
SIMPLE launches its online Capacity Building Programme to support organisations working with Ukrainian refugees

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: Understanding and Replicating the SIMPLE Model – introducing the project's Theory of Change and implementation pathways. Building Collaboration and Local Ecosystems – supporting organisations in developing effective multi-stakeholder partnerships. Engaging Employers and Supporting Economic Integration – providing practical guidance on involving the private sector in integration pathways. Designing Inclusive and Effective Integration Actions – helping organisations develop accessible, responsive and user-centred services. 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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2026-07-20
Ukrainian academic experts take part in the WP3 Virtual Workshop organised by IHF

As part of the final phase of the stakeholder outreach activities under Work Package 3 (WP3), the SIMPLE project organised a virtual workshop bringing together representatives of the University of Customs and Finance (UCF) in Dnipro, Ukraine, an associated partner of the project. The workshop provided an opportunity to reassess the capacity-building needs previously identified during the stakeholder outreach campaign and to validate whether the resources developed by the project effectively respond to the challenges faced by organisations supporting Ukrainian refugees. The workshop involved professors, department heads, researchers, international project managers, and experts in economics, taxation, social security, international law, marketing, and human resources, including representatives of the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA). Their multidisciplinary expertise contributed to an in-depth discussion on the current barriers affecting the social and economic inclusion of Ukrainian refugees across Europe. Participants reviewed the SIMPLE Capacity Building Toolkit and online training resources available through the project platform, assessing their relevance for organisations working with Ukrainian refugees. The workshop also included an interactive brainstorming session exploring the challenges currently experienced by Ukrainian refugees. Participants highlighted the high cost of healthcare and limited health insurance coverage in some host countries, administrative complexity and taxation as major barriers to entrepreneurship, and persistent difficulties in the educational integration of refugee children due to language barriers and limited support for trauma-related needs. These discussions confirmed the continued relevance of the capacity gaps identified during WP3 and reinforced the importance of equipping organisations with practical tools to support refugees in navigating legal and administrative procedures, accessing funding opportunities, and developing sustainable employment and business pathways. The findings also further validated the social innovation models currently being tested through the SIMPLE pilots in Italy and Poland. As an associated partner of the project, the University of Customs and Finance reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the dissemination of the SIMPLE methodology through its academic and international cooperation networks, contributing to the long-term sustainability and transferability of the project's results. SIMPLE is co-funded by the European Union under the ESF+ Social Innovation+ programme and brings together partners from Italy, Poland, Spain, Belgium, Croatia, and Hungary to transfer and scale social innovation models that promote the learning, employability, and social inclusion of Ukrainian refugees. 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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Partners

Collaboration is at the heart of the SIMPLE project. We work with a diverse range of stakeholders from academia, industry, government, and civil society to achieve our goals. Our partnerships are crucial for establishing strong networks, sharing resources, and maximizing the impact of our initiatives for Ukrainian refugees.

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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Legal description – Creative Commons licensing: The materials published on the SIMPLE project website are classified as Open Educational Resources' (OER) and can be freely (without permission of their creators): downloaded, used, reused, copied, adapted, and shared by users, with information about the source of their origin.

SIMPLE Project, All rights reserved.
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