It is common for entrepreneurship centres to specialise in one sector or area, in order to better fit in and have a greater impact on the territory in which they are located. However, specialisation is not always technology-based. Copenhagen Project House (KPH), an incubator in the Danish capital, is aimed at start-ups focused on social projects.
The initiative began in 2009 with the establishment of the organisation KPH, which rented an old tram depot and has been gradually renovating it as part of the Copenhagen City Council’s economic revival plan for the area.
The aim of the established centre is to create value for society by helping entrepreneurs develop non-traditional business models with a social mission at their core. KPH supports projects that bring value in one of the following ways 1) provide a public service in an innovative way; 2) create a service that improves the supply of public services; 3) can provide considerable savings of public funds, e.g. by providing preventive services; 4) create employment opportunities for people with difficulties in finding work; and 5) develop a service focused on social outcomes.
In more than 15 years, the incubator for social projects has been a success story. Its model is based on a multi-partner mentoring scheme and well-established sector associations. It facilitates the entrepreneurial process – from idea to action – for social enterprises and innovative organisations in social, cultural and environmental initiatives. KPH supports not only social enterprises, but also entrepreneurs with a social mission. Its purpose is to support cultural and social enterprises during the start-up and growth phases.
KPH also operates in an open environment that fosters innovation and is based on strong mentoring programmes: all KPH members are contractually obliged to mentor or share their knowledge and experience with new members for a minimum of three hours per month.
