EntreComp: The entrepreneurship competence framework

A key competence framework

The development of the entrepreneurial capacity of European citizens and organisations has been one of the key policy objectives for the EU and Member States for many years, and is one of the eight Key Competences for Lifelong learning.

The Joint Research Centre, in partnership with DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, has developed EntreComp: The Entrepreneurship Competence Framework. EntreComp describes entrepreneurship as a lifelong competence, identifies what are the elements that make someone entrepreneurial and describes them to establish a common reference for initiatives dealing with entrepreneurial learning.

• "Entrepreneurship is when you act upon opportunities and ideas and transform them into value for others. The value that is created can be financial, cultural, or social".
• Definition proposed by the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship & Young Enterprise.

Value creation in any sphere of life

Turning ideas into shared value is equally relevant to progressing one's career, supporting one's local sports team or establishing a new social enterprise. Entrepreneurial value creation and entrepreneurial learning can take place in any sphere of life.

By focusing on the development of competences through the actual creation of entrepreneurial value, EntreComp breaks down the boundaries between education, work and civic engagement. In this respect, the EntreComp is transversal to formal, non-formal and informal learning contexts and applies equally to education and training systems --from primary to vocational education and training-- and to non-structured learning contexts including civil society, communities, youth work, start-ups and existing organisation such as corporations, non-governmental organisations or public administrations.