News about DELI project

The Council of Europe launches an innovative project to foster more efficient local policies in support of migrant-owned SMEs and migrant entrepreneurship

What can we do to support migrant entrepreneurship in Europe and diversity-friendly economic policies and strategies, including procurement? How to establish private & public dialogue to improve the environment for economic integration of migrants?

The DELI project addresses such questions and expects to provide a long-term impact on the deeper integration of migrants at the local level and successful growth of migrant-owned enterprises which in their turn contribute to diverse economic climate development.

DELI - Diversity in the Economy and Local Integration project aims to support the development of local partnership platforms, to facilitate access of migrant-owned SMEs to public and private procurement and to develop quality management standards and assessment tools for local governments.

The first meeting of the DELI project partners was held in Brussels, 4-5 March 2014. The Council of Europe, as a lead partner, will closely collaborate with the Migration policy Group and 10 European cities, which will work towards concrete change in economic integration of migrants and reducing gaps in their access to social and economic rights.

The meeting gathered more than 20 participants from Bucharest (RO), Cartagena (ES), Dublin (IE), Getxo (ES), Munich (DE), Lisbon (PT), London – Lewisham (UK), Reggio Emilia (IT), Rotterdam (NL) and Vienna (AU). The representatives of the European Commission, Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee also participated in the meeting.

DELI, a project implemented by the Council of Europe, is part of the living together in diversity action strand of the Council of Europe and builds upon the knowledge base developed in the framework of the joint CoE/EU programme Intercultural Cities. The project will last 18 months (1st of January 2014 – 1st of July 2015). The DELI project includes the organisation of local “Economy and Diversity Round Tables (2 in each city) and related communication and capacity-building activities.

• Agenda
• Draft project blueprint
• Local Partnership Platforms, List of possible participants and Stakeholders analysis, Sequence of the Roundtables, Communication and outreach
• Quality Management Standards and Self-assessment Tool
• Research Formats
• Session III: Local Partnership Platforms