Inclusive Educational Innovation and Entrepreneurship: a Business Ideas Competition Model for Young People with Specific Learning Disabilities in the EntrEUth Project

Abstract

The evolution of European education systems requires pedagogical models capable of integrating inclusion, entrepreneurial competence development, and collaboration among educational, institutional, and productive stakeholders. This paper analyses the design and implementation of an inclusive Business Ideas Competition developed within the Erasmus+ project “EntrEUth – Nurturing the Entrepreneurial Spirit among Young Europeans, with particular attention to students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs)”. The study lies at the intersection of entrepreneurship education, inclusive education policies, and pedagogical innovation. The adopted model integrates the European framework EntreComp: the Entrepreneurship  Competence Framework, the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and the Italian regulatory framework for SLDs established by Law 170/2010 and related guidelines. A distinctive feature of the project is the transnational collaboration between educational and innovation actors who co-designed a pedagogical framework grounded in experiential learning. The Italian case study tested inclusive assessment procedures through a multidisciplinary jury and a dedicated Business Ideas Competition for young people with SLDs. Findings suggest that competitions designed according to accessibility and personalization principles can support the development of entrepreneurial and transversal competences as well as learners’ self-efficacy.