Niche 2 – Nurturing Intangible Cultural Heritage for Entrepreneurship

Context

NICHE 2 is the continuation of the successful NICHE 1 project, further expanding its mission to strengthen the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) sector in Europe. It responds to the growing need for green and digital transformation in the cultural sector, while also promoting entrepreneurship and sustainability. This project emphasizes the importance of ICH for identity, rural development, and social cohesion, while ensuring that ICH operators gain professional recognition and tailored training.
NICHE 2 aligns with the European Commission’s strategic priorities, particularly in fostering twin transitions —green and digital— through vocational education and training (VET).

 

Objectives

NICHE 2 aims to:

• Provide innovative and practical training to ICH operators to enhance their entrepreneurial, green, and digital skills.
• Promote the professionalization of ICH careers through new competency frameworks aligned with GreenComp, EntreComp, and DigComp.
• Support the sustainable growth and visibility of ICH practices in rural and urban areas.
• Upgrade and scale the NICHE eLearning platform for multilingual access and continuous learning.
• Create a NICHE 2 Manifesto and Empowerment Guidelines to influence future policies.

 

Target Groups

• ICH operators, artisans, and cultural workers
• Cultural entrepreneurs
• VET educators and trainers
• Cultural institutions and NGOs
• Policymakers and public bodies interested in sustainable culture

 

A total of 160 individuals will directly participate in testing and piloting activities.

 

Expected Results

1. Multilingual NICHE Platform Upgrade:

   An enhanced digital hub to share training resources and connect ICH stakeholders.
2. Needs Assessment & Learning Outcomes Framework:

   A framework tailored to the needs of ICH professionals, identifying required competences for the twin transition.
3. NICHE 2 Curricula & Operational Tools:

   High-quality, multilingual training resources in 6 languages, including tools for entrepreneurial action.
4. Pilot Testing:
   Involvement of 160 target users to validate the curriculum and platform usability.
5. NICHE 2 Manifesto & Empowerment Guidelines:

   Policy-focused documents to promote a green, digital, and inclusive ICH ecosystem.

 

Implementation Activities

Mapping learning outcomes for ICH professionals

• Developing and translating new training materials
• Delivering the pilot curriculum
• Hosting local valorisation events
• Drafting and promoting the Manifesto and Guidelines

All activities are structured across five work packages, each with dedicated outputs and dissemination responsibilities.

 

Budget

€250,000 total, allocated across 5 work packages including training development, platform upgrade, testing, dissemination, and project management.

 

Impact & Long-Term Benefits

• Upskilling of ICH operators with validated, EU-aligned competences
• Increased visibility and viability of ICH-based careers
• Policy influence via the Manifesto and Empowerment Guidelines
• Creation of a sustainable learning ecosystem and digital infrastructure for ICH entrepreneurship
• European replication potential through open access training and digital tools