This looks like being a vintage year for Exponential Training with the formation of a new European partnership project aiming to develop entrepreneurship in the wine industry.
Using the Triple Bottom Line concept (profit, planet and people), Exponential Training along with nine partners will be helping vineyards and wine producers throughout Europe to improve their triple bottom line performance.
UseWine – Erasmus Plus
The project, Use of Triple Bottom Line Sustainability Framework in Rural Wine Entrepreneurship (UseWine for short), is funded by the new Erasmus Plus programme. Erasmus Plus aims to boost skills and employability to tackle the skills gaps we are facing in the UK and throughout Europe. It is the brainchild of Christos Nicolaides from Dekaplus Business Services in Cyprus. Christos believes there is tremendous potential in adapting and using tools and techniques like the triple bottom line to support the development of rural businesses and entrepreneurs.
The Exponential team is very excited by this new initiative. Apart from getting the chance to make a difference to over 60 small and medium sized wineries and vineyards, we will get to visit some amazing places and to create something new and sustainable.
In October, Anne-Marie Daly and I travel to Cyprus for the first of six partner meetings – the other meetings are in Portugal (March 2015), Romania (September 2015), Austria (April 2016), France (December 2016) and Spain (July 2017). This looks like being a tough gig, but I guess someone has to do it!
Anne-Marie who is something of a wine connoisseur is really looking forward to sampling the produce! However, it will not be all play as the project aims to address some of the major challenges facing the wine industry: challenges such as margin compression, environmental compliance, competition and productivity improvement. Following the development of a bespoke Triple Bottom Line Assessment Model, Exponential will train local trainers and consultants in the use of the model enabling local wine producers and vineyard owners to pinpoint areas for improvement and development.
The consortium comprises: Dekaplus Business Services Ltd (Cyprus); Best Institut Gmbh (Austria); Ayuntamiento De Alcanadre (Spain); Cde Petra Patrimonia (France); ISQ (Portugal); Fundatia Centrul Educational Sorosromania (Romania); Ad Hoc Gestion Cultural S.L. (Spain); Troodos Network (Cyprus), Inneo – Studio Twórczego Rozwoju (Poland) and Exponential Training (UK).
