Academy of Entrepreneurship

The Academy of Entrepreneurship (AKEP) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization, with an innovative and authentic character, trying to meet the new challenges of the modern labour market as its first priority. It has been founded in 2007 by the historical Educational Association of Athens "HFAISTOS".

Its aim is to create a healthier entrepreneurial environment on a national and European level, and to try to support young people who wish to make their innovative entrepreneurial ideas come true. AKEP's main objective is the cultivation of the essential entrepreneurial attitude and transfer of the necessary knowledge to public and private organisations related to youth entrepreneurship.

For that reason, AKEP has been one of the 10 intermediary organisations in Greece for the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme since 2012. Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a cross border exchange programme which gives new or aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to learn from experienced ones running small businesses in other Participating Countries, since 2009. AKEP's role is to facilitate Greek entrepreneurs’ non formal entrepreneurial learning experience throughout Europe and the successful connection of experienced host entrepreneurs with new or aspiring entrepreneurs.

AKEP is an entrepreneurship ecosystem accelerator through the cultivation of entrepreneurship and employability soft and technical skills. In other words, AKEP focuses on non-formal learning of soft and technical skills on entrepreneurship for public and private organisations and anyone involved in it (trainers of entrepreneurs). AKEP's vision is the optimal accomplishment of the Global Sustainable Goals until 2030 through the entrepreneurship mindset cultivation in private and public organisations in Europe.

AKEP has been the national partner of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) in Greece (http://genglobal.org) since 2008, and in this context, is also member of the Global Entrepreneurship Research network (http://gern.co/). A series of workshops and entrepreneurship seminars are always organized where participants can brainstorm and seek advice on business issues and learn about the challenges they have to face within the crisis in today's labour market. They also receive specific guidance, depending on the requirements of their own entrepreneurial endeavors and activities. As a member of the Entrepreneur Envoy network (http://www.entrepreneurenvoy.org), and of the European Association of Development Research and Training (http://www.eadi.org), AKEP is fully aware of the requirements of the European labour market, transferring this knowledge to the participants of its non-formal educational programs.

AKEP has been nominated as the official National partner in Greece for the Startup Nations Global Network (http://www.startupnations.org), and constitutes an important communication channel for startup entrepreneurs and policy makers both on a European and global level.

AKEP is participating in various European research projects that support entrepreneurship development, and employability, especially with regards to young population. The research and social innovation department can strongly support the activities of any project related to business, youth entrepreneurship, the labour market and employment. The network of AKEP also involves Higher Education Institutions (Universities) and Research centers.

Since 2018, AKEP is a member of the Vision2020 The Horizon network an Open Innovation platform for research organisations & businesses, and a member of the Euclid Network for Social Enterprises.